Drowning
by Zan65
Summary: After a dramatic start to a case, the team encounters a mysterious woman who helps them in more ways than they ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

DROWNING

_For those of you who have read my Moments & Fragments offerings, this multi-fic will refer back to Chapter 3 of that series (the one with the psychic). It is not necessary to read that chapter to be able to follow this story. Hope you like 'Drowning'. Zan._

Chapter One

The situation was surreal and totally unexpected. Gibbs had been leading the team along the stream. They had been scouring the bank for clues to the young naval officer's disappearance. Dinozzo had been alternating between quoting Bogart's lines from The African Queen and mocking McGee's Wellington boots. McGee had been expressing concern about the encroaching darkness. Ziva had been complaining that she really didn't know what they were supposed to be looking for. Just as Gibbs was about to command them all to zip their mouths or be fired, lightning had split the sky in half. Too late, Gibbs saw the bulk of a tree, apparently struck by the bolt, crash into the trio, sending them into the water. Now, Gibbs found himself being swept downstream.

With difficulty, Gibbs managed to get his footing and drag himself to the bank. Looking to where the team had been struck, he saw McGee helping Ziva to safety. They were both drenched but safe. The moment of relief Gibbs felt gave way to rising panic when he realized that Tony was nowhere to be seen.

By the time Gibbs reached Ziva and McGee, the agents were frantically scanning the stream, a task made more difficult by the rain that had begun to fall, and the fast approaching darkness.

'Tony!' yelled Ziva, her voice shrill and full of concern. 'Gibbs, he was not far from me! Was he not swept past you?'

'No,' replied Gibbs with more confidence that he felt. 'I would have seen him!'

'Boss! There!' shouted McGee. All three peered in the direction McGee was indicating. In the gloom they could make out an arm extended above the surface of the water. Without wasting time to comment, Gibbs strode back into the water and made his way to what was, hopefully, Tony.

Tony fought to keep down the panic that was rising within him. He felt sure that the team had seen him. A dark shape was moving from the bank towards him. That was surely a good sign. He would have preferred to be the one doing the moving, but his legs were trapped firmly beneath the fallen tree. At least the freezing water was only at chest height. He would have to be thankful for small mercies.

'Dinozzo!' yelled Gibbs as he reached his agent.

'Hey Boss,' Tony replied by way of greeting.

'What the hell are you doing?' demanded Gibbs, annoyed by Tony's casual tone.

'I'm stuck,' Tony told him in a matter-of-fact manner. 'Probably Karma for all of the BS I was giving McGee about those boots. Are Ziva and Probie safe?'

'Yeah,' said Gibbs. 'They're fine. Are you in any pain?'

'Not really,' Tony told him, trying to sound casual. 'Just stuck. Literally stuck, but I guess metaphorically as well because – hey!'

Without warning, Gibbs had taken a deep breath before submerging himself to investigate Tony's predicament. Feeling his way down Tony's legs, he encountered the unyielding tree that had trapped the man. Tony was stuck in a kneeling position with the trunk of the tree across the back of his legs below the knees. Gibbs tried to shift the tree but to no avail. Re-emerging, Gibbs exhaled and came face to face with Tony again. Mercifully, Tony had stopped going on about metaphors. Despite the gloom and steadily increasing rain, Gibbs could see the glint of concern in Tony's green eyes.

'You sure you're not in pain?' asked Gibbs, gruffly. 'You're pinned pretty tight.'

'Just a bit of cramp,' admitted Tony as an involuntary shiver swept across him. 'And it's getting kinda cold.'

'McGee!' yelled Gibbs above the noise of the stream. 'Get your ass over here!'

McGee obediently made his way carefully towards where the other men were. As he neared them, his eyes grew wide with worry. There was no way that Tony would be kneeling in freezing water unless he was injured and/or couldn't move.

'Are you okay Tony?' he asked, immediately regretting the inane question the moment it left his mouth.

'Just Dandy, McGoo,' replied Tony. 'Really loving the great outdoors right now.'

'Get down here and help me move this damn tree!' barked Gibbs. 'Dinozzo's stuck under it.'

'And make sure you only grab hold of the tree,' Tony warned him. 'I'm feeling kind of vulnerable here.'

Blushing, McGee followed Gibbs' lead, and felt around beneath the water to find the tree trunk. Despite several attempts that were interrupted by their need to come up for air, they could not free Tony.

'What if we try and drag him out?' McGee asked Gibbs.

'It's worth a go,' replied Gibbs. They grabbed an arm each and tried to pull Tony forward, without success.

'Did you at least move a little?' McGee asked him.

'N., I'll my t. to extend m. shirt sleeves,' Tony told him, unable to keep his teeth from chattering.

'Can't you just be serious for once??' exploded McGee. How Tony could be cracking jokes in such a dire situation amazed him.

'B. serious isn't g. help, Mc,Mc,Mc House,' countered Tony.

'McGee!' snapped Gibbs. 'Go back and get the truck. We'll use the tow rope to move this thing. Ring for the EMT's as well. Tell Ziva to stay on the bank.'

'Okay Boss.'

Gibbs waited until McGee was a little distance away from Tony before leaving Tony's side to speak privately to the junior agent.

'Water levels' rising and the water's freezing,' he told McGee in a lowered voice. 'Two reasons to hurry up, Got that?'

McGee cast a worried look at Tony and then at Gibbs's intense gaze before nodding and making his way out of the stream as fast as he could.

Tony heard Gibbs speaking to McGee but could not make out the details of their conversation. When Gibbs moved back beside him, Tony shook his head.

'What?' demanded Gibbs.

' you sure I hear what you're saying, and McGee his own record. to be bad.'

Gibbs gave a wry smile.

'No good for anyone to be stuck in this cold water especially you,' said Gibbs.

' the water level's rising,' said Tony. 'D. not g. for me.'

Gibbs shook his head and knelt down in front of Tony. The water level was now up to their shoulders.

'McGee will be back before you know it,' Gibbs told him. The gentle tone of his voice worried Tony more than anything else about his predicament. He gave a half laugh and tried to straighten his back more as he felt the water level rise slightly yet again.

'Trying to convince me or yourself, Boss?' he asked.

Gibbs gripped Tony's shoulder and met his eyes.

'Dinozzo, I will NOT let you die,' he told him.

Tony studied the way the rainwater coursed its way down Gibbs' face before giving a slight nod. If he didn't have faith in Gibbs, what did he have left to draw strength from?


	2. Chapter 2

DROWNING

THIS IS A RE-POST OF CHAPTER 1 SO THAT I COULD FIX THE FORMATTING ERRORS. SORRY!

_For those of you who have read my Moments & Fragments offerings, this multi-fic will refer back to Chapter 3 of that series (the one with the psychic). It is not necessary to read that chapter to be able to follow this story. Hope you like 'Drowning'. Zan._

Chapter One

The situation was surreal and totally unexpected. Gibbs had been leading the team along the stream. They had been scouring the bank for clues to the young naval officer's disappearance. Dinozzo had been alternating between quoting Bogart's lines from The African Queen and mocking McGee's Wellington boots. McGee had been expressing concern about the encroaching darkness. Ziva had been complaining that she really didn't know what they were supposed to be looking for. Just as Gibbs was about to command them all to zip their mouths or be fired, lightning had split the sky in half. Too late, Gibbs saw the bulk of a tree, apparently struck by the bolt, crash into the trio, sending them into the water. Now, Gibbs found himself being swept downstream.

With difficulty, Gibbs managed to get his footing and drag himself to the bank. Looking to where the team had been struck, he saw McGee helping Ziva to safety. They were both drenched but safe. The moment of relief Gibbs felt gave way to rising panic when he realized that Tony was nowhere to be seen.

By the time Gibbs reached Ziva and McGee, the agents were frantically scanning the stream, a task made more difficult by the rain that had begun to fall, and the fast approaching darkness.

'Tony!' yelled Ziva, her voice shrill and full of concern. 'Gibbs, he was not far from me! Was he not swept past you?'

'No,' replied Gibbs with more confidence that he felt. 'I would have seen him!'

'Boss! There!' shouted McGee. All three peered in the direction McGee was indicating. In the gloom they could make out an arm extended above the surface of the water. Without wasting time to comment, Gibbs strode back into the water and made his way to what was, hopefully, Tony.

Tony fought to keep down the panic that was rising within him. He felt sure that the team had seen him. A dark shape was moving from the bank towards him. That was surely a good sign. He would have preferred to be the one doing the moving, but his legs were trapped firmly beneath the fallen tree. At least the freezing water was only at chest height. He would have to be thankful for small mercies.

'Dinozzo!' yelled Gibbs as he reached his agent.

'Hey Boss,' Tony replied by way of greeting.

'What the hell are you doing?' demanded Gibbs, annoyed by Tony's casual tone.

'I'm stuck,' Tony told him in a matter-of-fact manner. 'Probably Karma for all of the BS I was giving McGee about those boots. Are Ziva and Probie safe?'

'Yeah,' said Gibbs. 'They're fine. Are you in any pain?'

'Not really,' Tony told him, trying to sound casual. 'Just stuck. Literally stuck, but I guess metaphorically as well because – hey!'

Without warning, Gibbs had taken a deep breath before submerging himself to investigate Tony's predicament. Feeling his way down Tony's legs, he encountered the unyielding tree that had trapped the man. Tony was stuck in a kneeling position with the trunk of the tree across the back of his legs below the knees. Gibbs tried to shift the tree but to no avail. Re-emerging, Gibbs exhaled and came face to face with Tony again. Mercifully, Tony had stopped going on about metaphors. Despite the gloom and steadily increasing rain, Gibbs could see the glint of concern in Tony's green eyes.

'You sure you're not in pain?' asked Gibbs, gruffly. 'You're pinned pretty tight.'

'Just a bit of cramp,' admitted Tony as an involuntary shiver swept across him. 'And it's getting kinda cold.'

'McGee!' yelled Gibbs above the noise of the stream. 'Get your ass over here!'

McGee obediently made his way carefully towards where the other men were. As he neared them, his eyes grew wide with worry. There was no way that Tony would be kneeling in freezing water unless he was injured and/or couldn't move.

'Are you okay Tony?' he asked, immediately regretting the inane question the moment it left his mouth.

'Just Dandy, McGoo,' replied Tony. 'Really loving the great outdoors right now.'

'Get down here and help me move this damn tree!' barked Gibbs. 'Dinozzo's stuck under it.'

'And make sure you only grab hold of the tree,' Tony warned him. 'I'm feeling kind of vulnerable here.'

Blushing, McGee followed Gibbs' lead, and felt around beneath the water to find the tree trunk. Despite several attempts that were interrupted by their need to come up for air, they could not free Tony.

'What if we try and drag him out?' McGee asked Gibbs.

'It's worth a go,' replied Gibbs. They grabbed an arm each and tried to pull Tony forward, without success.

'Did you at least move a little?' McGee asked him.

'No but I'll be getting my tailor to extend my shirt sleeves,' Tony told him, unable to keep his teeth from chattering.

'Can't you just be serious for once??' exploded McGee. How Tony could be cracking jokes in such a dire situation amazed him.

'Being serious isn't gonna help, Mc House,' countered Tony.

'McGee!' snapped Gibbs. 'Go back and get the truck. We'll use the tow rope to move this thing. Ring for the EMT's as well. Tell Ziva to stay on the bank.'

'Okay Boss.'

Gibbs waited until McGee was a little distance away from Tony before leaving Tony's side to speak privately to the junior agent.

'Water levels' rising and the water's freezing,' he told McGee in a lowered voice. 'Two reasons to hurry up, Got that?'

McGee cast a worried look at Tony and then at Gibbs's intense gaze before nodding and making his way out of the stream as fast as he could.

Tony heard Gibbs speaking to McGee but could not make out the details of their conversation. When Gibbs moved back beside him, Tony shook his head.

'What?' demanded Gibbs.

'First you make sure I hear what you're saying, and then McGee breaks his own speed record. Got to be bad.'

Gibbs gave a wry smile.

'No good for anyone to be stuck in this cold water especially you,' said Gibbs.

'And the water level's rising,' said Tony. 'Definitely not good for me.'

Gibbs shook his head and knelt down in front of Tony. The water level was now up to their shoulders.

'McGee will be back before you know it,' Gibbs told him. The gentle tone of his voice worried Tony more than anything else about his predicament. He gave a half laugh and tried to straighten his back more as he felt the water level rise slightly yet again.

'Trying to convince me or yourself, Boss?' he asked.

Gibbs gripped Tony's shoulder and met his eyes.

'Dinozzo, I will NOT let you die,' he told him.

Tony studied the way the rainwater coursed its way down Gibbs' face before giving a slight nod. If he didn't have faith in Gibbs, what did he have left to draw strength from?


	3. Chapter 3

DROWNING

Chapter 2

As Gibbs helped Tony to keep as upright as possible, a sloshing sound announced Ziva's arrival.

'Ah, Ms. David,' said Tony in a cheery voice. 'Won't you join us?'

Ziva narrowed her eyes.

'Tony, you are stuck beneath a tree too heavy for us to move, and the water is rising rapidly. If McGee does not return very soon, you will surely drown. How can you be so…so…so up rhythm?!'

'I believe you mean _upbeat_,' Tony corrected her. 'She's just a ray of sunshine isn't she Boss?' he added.

Ziva reached out and felt his face with the back of her hand.

'You are very cold,' she told him, unable to hide her concern.

'Queen of the bleeding obvious, as usual,' said Tony, with an edge to his tone. He could feel the water beginning to lap at his neck.

'Go back to the bank,' Gibbs told Ziva. 'McGee will be looking for you to indicate where we are.'

Ziva could clearly see how deeply in peril her two colleagues were and was reluctant to leave them to a watery fate. She did not immediately follow Gibbs' orders.

'You can't help us,' Gibbs told her, not unkindly.

'Count yourself lucky,' added Tony. 'There's no reason for you to wait here as well.'

'I do not feel lucky,' Ziva told him, her eyes wide with worry. And then she reluctantly complied with Gibbs' orders.

Gibbs pressed his body up against Tony's and snaked his arms around him, under the armpits, in an effort to keep Tony as upright as he could. He had seen the way the younger man was starting to tire. Where was McGee?

'Boss, didn't know you cared,' said Tony through chattering teeth as he found himself practically nose to nose with Gibbs. He even managed to waggle his eyebrows.

'Shut up, Dinozzo, 'Gibbs told him. His tone was harsh but Gibbs was secretly pleased that Tony was still being Tony. The rising water was an immediate concern, but Gibbs was particularly worried about the cold. Dinozzo's body felt like ice. Tony was definitely going to need some recovery time once they got him out.

Another flash of lightning crackled around the two men. The intense light caused Tony to start involuntarily and press his long fingers into Gibbs' arms.

'It's okay,' he told Tony, trying to reassure him.

Tony gave a slightly hysterical laugh in response. The water level was now at his chin. He could barely feel his legs. If it weren't for Gibbs holding him up, Tony knew he would not be able to keep his face above the water's surface. The rain appeared to be getting heavier by the moment. Yet, Gibbs was telling him that it was okay.

'Something funny, Dinozzo?' Gibbs asked. He was not a fan of small talk, but he was willing to make an exception in situations such as their current one. Even in the near darkness he could see Tony's lips turning an unhealthy shade of blue. He wanted to keep unwanted memories at bay for as long as he could.

'You are,' said Tony. 'There's nothing _okay_ about this!'

'Could be worse,' persisted Gibbs. 'We know that help is coming. That tree could have killed someone outright, but it didn't. If you were shorter, the water would be over your head by now.'

'With respect, cut the crap Boss,' managed Tony. 'Since when did you become a glass half full kind of person? Let's face it, I'm not gonna make it. Why don't you save yourself?'

'Not happening, Dinozzo,' said Gibbs sternly. 'Rule 25.'

'Be a stubborn bastard right to the bitter end?' asked Dinozzo.

'Always look after your own,' said Gibbs.

'Come on Boss,' said Tony, a pleading edge to his voice. 'The team needs you. I'm not worth - Ow! What was the headslap for?'

'For what you were about to say,' Gibbs told him, his eyes steely.

A few minutes passed in silence until Gibbs felt cramp tug at the back of his leg. Still holding onto Tony, he half stood up to try and relieve it. In the process, he lost his footing and was swept a little way away from his agent.

Tony suddenly found himself totally beneath the surface. Unable to keep himself upright any longer, all he could do was flail his arms around and try not to breathe in. Black spots quickly appeared before his eyes and he felt as though his lungs would burst. Just as his panicked mind was telling him that this was the end, he felt strong arms hauling him upwards again. As his face emerged from the water, he took in desperate breaths and grabbed frantically at Gibbs.

Gibbs held on to Tony as tightly as he could, guilt-ridden that he was the cause of the coughing and sobbing that reached his ears.

'I'm sorry,' he half-whispered into Tony's ear, the words sounding foreign to him. 'I'm still with you. We're gonna make it. I promise.'

Gibbs closed his eyes for a moment to shut out the harsh conditions. When he opened them again, he found himself looking straight into the round face of Agent McGee.

'What are you doing?' he barked. 'Get that rope onto the tree!'

'It, it is already,' McGee stammered. 'I just wanted to warn you that Ziva's about to start moving it.'

'Consider us warned!' exploded Gibbs. 'Dinozzo, hang on to me.' The instruction was really superfluous, thought McGee, as Tony seemed to have a death grip on the boss. The water was now intermittently covering Tony's mouth. Mc Gee wasn't a religious man, but he prayed that the truck was powerful enough to move the tree.

When Ziva saw McGee flash the water-proof torch, she put her foot down and accelerated slowly. She was intensely grateful to be able to act after spending what seemed like an eternity worrying about Tony. If this didn't work, she did not know if she could bear the consequences.


	4. Chapter 4

Drowning

Chapter 4

'McGee's back,' Gibbs told Tony. 'You'll be free any second.' Whether Tony actually heard him or not was unclear, but Gibbs kept repeating the words as though they were a kind of mantra. He had to believe them. The only alternative was to accept that they would lose Tony imminently. He could no longer hear Tony coughing. The younger man had been forced to take in air solely through his nose. Tony's eyes remained closed and his brow furrowed as if he couldn't bear to see Gibbs' reaction to his inevitable fate.

When he saw the tow rope grow taut, McGee submerged himself and felt his way to the tree trunk. To his immense relief, he felt the tree move towards the bank. With all of his might, McGee gave it a shove until it was clear of Tony's legs before coming up for much needed air.

'Boss!' he called to Gibbs. 'He's free!'

Gibbs, whose grip on Tony had not slackened for a moment, heaved a sigh of relief and slowly stood up, dragging Tony up with him. The water was now up to their chests. Expecting Tony to begin eagerly drawing in gulps of air through his mouth, Gibbs was concerned when this did not happen. Instead, Tony's eyes remained closed and he was uncharacteristically without comment.

'Dinozzo!' snapped Gibbs. 'You with me?'

'Got your six, Boss,' mumbled Tony, his eyes still closed. 'I've got them.'

McGee approached them and shone his torchlight on Tony's face. The senior agent's skin was grey. His lips were tinged blue.

'He's going into shock,' said McGee.

'Ya think!' spat Gibbs. 'Turn that thing off and help me get him out of this water!'

McGee pocketed the torch and assisted Gibbs to get Dinozzo's lanky form to the bank. He wondered whether Tony's legs had been badly injured – they had no way of knowing. Tony mumbled incoherently about having Gibb's six and apologizing for making the kitchen floor wet, but he didn't appear to be in any physical pain. The temperature of the water had most likely made him mercifully numb.

Once they reached the bank, Ziva ran forward to help them drag Tony onto the wet grass.

'Is he badly injured?' she asked anxiously.

'Hard to tell,' said Gibbs tersely. 'Where the hell are the EMT's?'

'Ah, some kind of major road accident,' McGee told him. 'They said they were pretty stretched.' The look that his boss gave him in response to that comment left McGee in no doubt that there would be some major ass kicking at EMT headquarters as soon as Tony was in the clear.

'Ziva, put the heater on in the truck. Get some blankets. McGee, help me get him out of this jacket. Leave the jeans. I don't wanna make any leg injuries worse.'

'Shouldn't we wait for the paramedics?' McGee dared to ask. Gibbs answered him with a glare. Together, the two men managed to get Tony's jacket off. The senior field agent continued to ramble about keeping Gibbs' six (to which Gibbs said 'I know') and dripping water on the floor (to which Gibbs said 'it's okay')

Once Ziva had placed two blankets on the floor of the back of the truck and was sitting inside, legs crossed, with two more blankets over her arm, Gibbs gave the order for McGee to help him hoist Tony into the truck. Once he was safely inside and out of the rain, Gibbs helped Ziva wrap him as best they could in the blankets. Ziva positioned herself so that she was cradling Tony's head and shoulders on her lap. Satisfied, Gibbs slammed the door and leapt into the driver's seat. McGee barely had time to scramble into the passenger seat before Gibbs took off at break-neck speed.

'Where are we heading?' asked McGee as he hung on for dear life.

'Bethesda,' snapped Gibbs. 'I'll be damned if I'm gonna make Tony wait until the EMTs come to us. He's waited long enough.'

McGee swallowed uncomfortably and tried to relax as the truck hurtled its way along the treacherous terrain towards the highway. He hoped the back door of the truck was shut securely.

On the floor in the back of the truck, Ziva hugged Tony to her as they were bounced around, trying to transfer some of her body warmth to him. He still felt like ice and he was still rambling, his eyes half-closed.

'Shhh, now Tony,' she soothed. 'Gibbs knows that you have his six. It has been that way for a very long time.'

'Sorry, sorry about the floor getting wet,' he continued.

'You do not have to worry about the floor getting wet,' she told him. 'It does not matter, as long as you are safe.'

At that, Tony opened his eyes fully to look at her. For a moment, his expression was so sad and surprised that she thought he was going to cry, but then he shut his eyes and seemed to relax completely. Leaning down, she placed a light kiss on his icy forehead. She hoped that Tony would get medical attention soon. It was unnatural for him to be so still and so hushed. She admitted to herself that he was scaring her.

Two hours after Tony was rescued, he was sleeping comfortably beneath thermal blankets. Gibbs, still in the clothes he wore into the stream, stood outside Tony's room, waiting for Ducky to come and give him the doctor's report in language that Gibbs could understand. He was in no mood for gobbledygook or sugar-coating. He just wanted to know how bad Tony was and how long he'd take to recover.

By the time they had screeched into the ambulance bay at Bethesda, Tony had been barely conscious. The sight of three drenched and muddy agents had startled the emergency team into action and Tony had been immediately rushed inside. If there had been any delay of any description, or any crap about other patients having more priority, Gibbs would have whipped out his soggy gun and made them act. Not for the first time, Gibbs wondered why Dinozzo managed to stir up such intense feelings within him. He could not explain nor deny them. His thoughts were interrupted by Ducky's arrival.

'Now, Jethro,' began the elderly ME, 'I thought we talked about you going home to shower and change.'

'What did the doc say?' Gibbs asked, ignoring Ducky's comment.

'Once again, Anthony is very, very lucky,' Ducky told him. 'He has some deep bruising and minor lacerations across the back of his legs and is suffering from exposure to cold. The doctor is a little concerned about the possibility of frostbite on his toes, but I believe it's unwarranted. His lungs are remarkably clear given the circumstances. He apparently spoke lucidly to the medical staff, so they were quite happy for him to sleep for as long as he needs to. Of course, the poor boy is absolutely exhausted, as I'm sure _you_ must be.'

'How long will they keep him?' continued Gibbs.

'Most likely just overnight, mainly for observation,' said Ducky. 'He really is remarkably lucky.'

'Stay with him, will you Duck?' asked Gibbs. 'If he wakes up, tell him someone will pick him up around midday tomorrow.'

'I will if you promise you're** not** going back to the office in the middle of the night in that condition,' Ducky told him sternly.

'Keep me informed if anything changes,' called Gibbs over his shoulder as he strode down the hall towards the lift. Ducky watched him go before quietly entering Tony's room and settling himself in the chair beside the bed. Beneath the warm blankets, Tony was sleeping serenely. His face and lips had already returned to their usual colour. Ducky shook his head when he thought of the dangerous situation the younger man had been in only a short time before. It would have been an extremely stressful time for the whole team, particularly Gibbs.

'You really will be the death of him one day,' Ducky said quietly.

_Next chapter, we'll find out more about the case of the missing naval officer. Thank you all for your lovely reviews. Love, Zan._


	5. Chapter 5

Drowning

Chapter 5

McGee and Ziva were somewhat startled to see Gibbs already seated at his desk when they coincidently arrived together. Both had decided to get to work by 7.00am to get a head start. They had not expected Gibbs to be already there – not after the trauma of the night before. Gibbs had sent them home the moment Tony had been accepted into the ER, despite Ziva's protests that she wanted to wait around for news. Gibbs had promised her that he'd keep her informed, and he had fulfilled that promise by leaving a voicemail message for her while she was drying her hair: _Dinozzo's fine. Tell McGee. Get some rest._ Gibbs was nothing if not succinct. You could certainly never liken his style of delivery to Ducky's.

'Couldn't sleep, Boss?' asked McGee as he sat at his own desk and switched on the PC.

'Slept fine,' was Gibbs' terse reply. He didn't bother to look away from his own screen as he spoke.

'What have you got on Partington's ex-boyfriends?'

'Ah, not much,' stammered McGee. 'Nothing really, actually. But I'm going to try a few new avenues.'

'Well, I hope you're not waiting for an invitation from me,' said Gibbs. 'What about you, David?'

'I am continuing to research Officer Partington's history,' said Ziva. 'But I think it would be proper for you to tell us about how Tony is. He _is_ my partner, is he not?'

'I called you last night!' exclaimed Gibbs, finally looking away from his screen. 'Don't tell me you didn't get the message!'

'I got it,' said Ziva, her eyes flashing with barely contained anger. 'I guess I was hoping for a little more information than _fine_.'

Gibbs was about to respond to her anger with some of his own, but then he remembered the expression on Ziva's face when he had opened the back of the truck at Bethesda. She deserved a little more detail. He softened his tone slightly.

'Cuts and bruises. Shock. Mild hypothermia. No lung damage as far as they can tell. He slept all night. Ducky said they might discharge him today.'

'That is good news,' said Ziva, her heart growing lighter as she digested Gibbs' words.

'He sure was lucky,' mused McGee, his face serious. 'That he got rescued, I mean. Not because he was trapped in the first place or because he's in the hospital.'

'We get it,' said Gibbs, his impatience returning. 'Now, can we get back to work?'

The three members of the team would have go back to work if Abby had not suddenly burst in and marched up to Gibbs' desk.

'What aren't you telling me?' she demanded of Gibbs.

'What?' replied Gibbs, leaning back in his chair to look up at her serious face.

'First, none of you were back here by the time I left last night. Second, no-one rang me to say that something was going on. Third, I could barely sleep last night because MY gut – yes, Gibbs, yours is not the only one that speaks – told me someone was in trouble. Fourth, Tony is not answering my calls. And fifth, Tony is not here and neither is Ducky.' Abby paused to catch her breath before ending with: 'I'm not leaving this spot until I know what's going on.'

Ziva and McGee looked from Abby to Gibbs, curious to see what his reaction would be. Normal people who wanted to keep working at NCIS did not speak threateningly to Gibbs or stand over his desk demanding answers, but this was Abby. Gibbs seemed to have a different set of rules when it came to the forensic scientist.

'There was an accident,' Gibbs told her, his voice calm and even. 'A tree fell and knocked us into a stream. Dinozzo was trapped in the water for a little while. We took him to Bethesda as a precaution. Ducky stayed there to make sure he didn't check himself out.'

'How could you not call and tell me that Tony was injured?!' demanded Abby, her pigtails bobbing vigorously.

'Abs, he's fine,' said Gibbs. 'There was no point in ringing you.'

'I would have slept a whole lot better hearing you say he's fine,' she grumbled.

'I'm sorry,' said Gibbs, to which McGee's jaw dropped open. 'It won't happen again.'

'Well, where's the audio recorder when you need it?' came a voice from above their heads. The four looked up as Jenny made her way down the stairs.

'That's six words I never thought I'd hear you say, Agent Gibbs,' she added as she joined them.

'You're here early,' said Gibbs, changing the subject. 'Luxurious breakfast meeting with the suits?'

'No,' she replied, refusing to be baited about the perks of her position. 'Agent McGee, would you be so kind as to turn on the television monitor. News channel.'

McGee obliged. As if on cue, the appeal for public help made by the director of NCIS herself appeared speaking on the screen.

'_Three days ago, Dianne Partington, a 26 year old naval officer, disappeared. The last known contact received from Officer Partington was a telephone call made from the Shallow Creek recreation reserve at 6.00pm, Wednesday, March 6__th__. We are appealing to the public to give us any assistance it can in locating Officer Partington. If you have seen Officer Partington and/or have any relevant information, please contact NCIS or your local law enforcement agency.'_

The appeal was accompanied by a photograph of the missing officer. McGee switched off the monitor. Abby smiled approvingly at Jenny. Gibbs was predictably unimpressed.

'Why didn't you ask my opinion about doing that?' demanded Gibbs.

'Because I knew what it would be,' said Jenny. 'You'd say it was a bad idea.'

'Damn straight it's a bad idea,' spat Gibbs.

'Why is it a bad idea?' asked Ziva.

'Because now we have to deal with all the crackpots, would-be investigators, concerned citizens and do-gooders that make contact with us,' said Gibbs.

'We have nothing,' said Jenny. 'We have no leads, no witnesses, no suspicions and no where to go. I have Officer Partington's parents ringing constantly for news that I can't give them. This may just well give us something to go on.'

Gibbs began muttering something about directors who interfere with the real work but was interrupted by the ringing of his cell.

'Gibbs!' he barked.

'Jethro?'

'Ducky. What's the update?'

'Well,' said Ducky, his voice lowered. 'The doctor is a little concerned about a rattle in Anthony's chest. It may be nothing, but given his medical history, he wants to keep him in for a second night.'

'And?' demanded Gibbs, suspected where the conversation was heading.

'Well, I'm afraid Anthony is being rather insistent about checking out today as was originally planned. I have pointed out that he has no clothes to go home in, but I believe he plans to sweet-talk a very obliging nurse into getting him some doctors' scrubs to wear home. Not the best look for him, in my opinion.'

'Put Dinozzo on,' Gibbs told his friend. As he waited for Ducky to pass the phone to Tony, Gibbs glared at his audience until they all prepared to be busy doing other things, apart from Jenny who looked on with interest.

'Hey Boss!' came Tony's cheery tone. 'You'll be glad to know that I'll be back on the case in an hour or two. Just getting some minor details sorted out.' Any residual exhaustion was being effectively disguised.

'Dinozzo, you do not have a medical degree. You are not going to discharge yourself. I am coming to that hospital this afternoon. If you are not in that bed in that room when I arrive, you will not have a job to come back to. Is that clear?'

During the wait for Tony's response, Gibbs imagine Tony sending Ducky mutinous looks.

'Crystal,' came the disappointed reply.

Gibbs hung up without further comment and grabbed his jacket.

'I'm going for coffee,' he announced. 'If anyone's interested in getting on my good side, find us a lead on this missing officer by the time I come back.'

'Tony said his good side was a myth,' hissed Ziva.

'I heard that, David,' came Gibbs' voice from the stairwell.

Several blocks away from the NCIS building in a small café, a woman looked up from her herbal tea to look at the television screen high in the corner. Not generally interested in the media, she found herself drawn to the photograph on the screen. Finding herself bombarded with strong images, she placed her tea cup down and placed her hands upwards on the table. She shut her eyes briefly but managed to open them in time to see the direct number to NCIS being displayed. She committed it to memory. She would soon be ringing that number as part of her duty as a concerned, responsible citizen.


	6. Chapter 6

Drowning

Chapter 6

Despite the dangled carrot of getting on Gibbs' mythical 'good side', the team had not been able to come up with any new leads by the time he had returned with coffee. In fact, three hours after the coffee run, there had been nothing discovered that indicated Dianne Partington had been in trouble, or knew anyone who had a grudge against her, or was unhappy with any aspect of her life, or had a medical problem that might lead her to wander off without warning.

Near to lunchtime, Abby re-appeared at Gibbs' desk.

'If you're here to lecture me again about not keeping you informed, don't,' he warned her.

'No, I'm in the strange and unusual position of not having any urgent stuff to do,' said Abby, sweetly. 'Can't I just visit without you thinking I have an ulterior motive?'

'You're not taking time off to visit him, Abby,' said Gibbs, sternly. 'You can do that in your own time.'

'But Gibbs…I just wanna know how he is!'

'He's supposed to be resting,' he told her. 'If you stop whining, you can go and collect him when he's discharged.'

'Thank you, thank you!' exclaimed Abby gleefully before she registered properly what Gibbs had said.

'Hey! Abby Scuitto does not whine!' she stated, her hands on her hips.

When Gibbs said nothing and continued working, she turned to McGee.

'Tell him McGee.'

'Ah, Abby,' he stammered. 'You, um, you **do** whine at times.'

Ziva, who had been watching the exchange and hoping not to be drawn into it, was grateful to see Jenny approach.

'Anything new to report?' the director enquired.

'Apart from a whining forensic scientist and a senior field agent who thinks he can discharge himself from hospital, nothing,' said Gibbs, clearly disgusted. He hated inaction and lack of progress. He especially hated admitting it to the director.

'Well, I have a development,' she told Gibbs, smiling. 'The public appeal has attracted some attention. A woman contacted me today. She will be coming in tomorrow to assist with the case.'

'Why can she not come today?' asked Ziva. 'If Officer Partington is in trouble, it may be too late to receive information tomorrow.'

'She can't come today,' Jenny informed her.

'Is she a witness? Does she have pertinent information?' asked McGee.

'She may be both or neither,' said Jenny somewhat cryptically.

'What the hell is she, director?' demanded Gibbs impatiently.

'Agent Gibbs, she's a psychic,' said Jenny.

'Cool!' enthused Abby.

'Oh,' said McGee.

'Interesting,' mused Ziva.

'Forget it!' roared Gibbs.

'You have nothing else,' persisted Jenny. 'There have been many cases solved with the help of psychics, fortune tellers, mediums or whatever else they like to call themselves.'

'None of _MY_ cases!' argued Gibbs. 'I use scientific methods and hard work. I don't use mumbo jumbo.'

'You do use your _**gut**_, Gibbs,' offered Abby. 'That's hardly scientific or hard work but it's effective.'

'She's coming tomorrow and that's final,' stated Jenny before she turned to go back to her office. 'And, Agent Gibbs, you _will _speak with her,' she added.

Gibbs pushed back angrily from his desk and stood up.

'Keep looking for leads,' he snarled at Ziva and McGee. 'Whoever finds me something that solves this case before I have to see this weirdo tomorrow will get the right to drive the truck for a month.'

'Where are you going?' Abby dared to ask as Gibbs stalked to the lift.

'To make sure a direct order is being followed,' he snapped.

……………………………………………………….

Tony turned off the television and tossed the remote onto the bedside table in disgust. He was bored. He was restless. He was no longer frozen to the core. His legs no longer throbbed. He could see no point in staying in the hospital for another five minutes, let alone another night! Of course it was all Ducky's fault that he was still there. If the elderly ME hadn't blabbed to Gibbs about Tony's plan to get clothes, Tony would have been back in the office and back on the case. He rested his head back against the propped up pillows, shut his eyes and sighed. Almost at once he heard footsteps in the hallway and the sound of the door being opened then closed. When only silence followed, Tony kept his eyes shut and folded his arms across his chest.

'I bet you won't ring the Boss to report that I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to be doing, will you Ducky' he said sulkily.

'No, because I'm already here to see that you are,' came Gibbs' gruff voice, causing Tony to sit bolt upright. 'And knock off the petulance,' he added as he approached the bed. 'Ducky's only concerned about your health.'

'My health's fine!' exclaimed Tony. 'Honestly Boss, do I look sick? I'll tell you what makes a person sick: hanging around in hospitals picking up germs from sick people.'

Gibbs placed the bag he was carrying on the end of the bed and sat down, all the while trying to hide his amusement. Tony definitely seemed like his usual self. He had not spoken to Tony since just before he had been wheeled into the ER.

'It's a precaution,' he told Tony. 'I just spoke to the doctor. He said there's some gunk in your lungs. If it doesn't get any worse, you can be discharged tomorrow so long as you take it easy over the next few days.'

'Boss, I'm always gonna have gunk in my lungs!' exclaimed Tony, still frustrated. He remembered all too clearly Dr. Pitt's explanation that his lungs were slightly scarred for life.

'Stop complaining,' Gibbs told him. 'You're worse than Abby.'

Tony was about to protest again before thinking better of it. He had no hope of winning the argument anyway. He took a glance a Gibbs' face and his mind flashed back to the last time he had seen his Boss. The man had pretty much saved his life – again. Not single-handedly, but Gibbs had stayed with him in the stream when Tony had been unraveling. The silence between them lengthened until Tony ended it.

'Rules aside,' he told Gibbs quietly, 'I'm sorry for losing it out there in the water.'

'You didn't lose it,' said Gibbs. 'Things were a bit rough here and there, but you kept your head.'

Tony snorted and gave an embarrassed half laugh.

'Come on, Boss. I'm surprised you haven't got bruises where my fingers dug into your arms!'

Gibbs recalled the moment when he had momentarily lost his grip on his agent and the younger man had clutched at him like a frightened child.

'You nearly drowned, Tony,' Gibbs said in his gentlest tone. 'Stop giving yourself a hard time. You did fine.'

Tony sighed again and rubbed his hand over his brow.

'McGee must have loved it,' he said, grimly. 'He's gonna have enough ammunition to use against me for weeks.'

Gibbs thought back to McGee's worried face and Ziva's anguish when she believed that Tony was going to die. He shook his head.

'I don't think he'll be making a joke of it,' Gibbs told Tony. 'And if he does, Ziva will probably make sure he regrets it.'

Tony gave a wan smile and decided to take Gibbs word for it. After another awkward silence, Tony changed the subject.

'How's the case going?' he asked.

'Nowhere,' said Gibbs disgustedly. 'No leads and no clues. And now the director's appeal to the public has dredged up some crackpot who says she can help us.'

'Who is she?' asked Tony, his interest growing.

'Some psychic!' spat Gibbs. 'We'll be bringing in spoon benders next.'

The corners of Tony's mouth went up at the thought of a fortune teller having to deal with Gibbs and visa-versa. The idea was too delicious for words.

'When's she coming in?' he asked Gibbs, excitedly. 'Tell me it's gonna be when I'm back. I mean, how often have we had a psychic help us on a case? It'll be a first.'

'It's not gonna happen at all if we solve the case before tomorrow, which is when she's coming,' Gibbs told him, his annoyance growing. He stood up and indicated the bag on the end of the bed.

'There are some of your clothes and shoes in there,' he told Tony. 'IF the doctor's happy with you in the morning, he'll ring me and I'll send Abby to come and collect you. IF you decide the break out of here before then, do not bother coming into work, because you will no longer have a job.'

'And risk missing out on seeing you and the fortune teller work together?' said Tony. 'Not a chance.'

Gibbs turned to walk towards the door, but then turned back and leaned into Tony's personal space.

'One more thing, Dinozzo,' he said, his voice low and serious. 'I don't know where that crap about you not being worth my protection comes from, but you are no less valuable than anyone on the team – including me. If I even suspect that you're thinking otherwise again, I'll head slap you into next week. Got that?'

'Got it Boss,' said Tony, his face reddening slightly.

When Gibbs had left, Tony chose not to entertain the somber memories of his childhood that threatened to fill his mind. Instead, he thought about the many possible entertaining scenarios involving Gibbs and the psychic.

'


	7. Chapter 7

Drowning

Chapter 7

When Abby clomped her way into Bethesda Hospital reception at 'eleven hundred hours' (as Gibbs had instructed her to), she found Tony already dressed and ready to go. He was casually leaning against the desk, chatting smoothly to an attractive nurse. Quickening her pace, Abby flung herself at Tony and enveloped him in a bone-crunching hug. It was so good to hold him and be assured that he was alive and well that she couldn't bear to let go. Tony's need to draw breath, however, over-rode_** his**_ delight at being hugged by his Goth friend.

'Hey, Abs,' he managed to grunt.

Drawing back, she kept hold of his arms in order to maintain contact.

'You_ have_ to stop nearly getting yourself killed!' she admonished him. 'I can't take much more of it!'

'Ab's, it was no big deal,' Tony told her, playing it down as Gibbs had.

'Tony! Don't___**say**_ that!' she exclaimed, punching him on the arm. '_**You**_ know that _**I**_ know that when you say it's no big deal, it really is and that when you make a big deal of something it's really not!'

'That's not true,' he retorted and turned his attention back to the nurse who was looking on in amusement.

'It _**so**_ is!' Abby continued, also turning to address the pretty onlooker. 'This one time, Tony was in a shipping crate and a bullet grazed his arm. He carried on so much that anyone would have thought he'd nearly died.'

'Abby!' protested Tony.

'But then, when he'd nearly died for real from the plague, he hardly mentioned it to anyone. So_** that's**_ how I know that _**this**_ time it was a really big deal, despite what he and Gibbs tell me.'

'Well, if you're done with the psychoanalysis and ruining any chance I might have had to date this beautiful woman, can we go?' asked Tony in exasperation.

'Certainly,' said Abby cheerily, threading her arm through Tony's. 'If we hurry, we get to meet the psychic!'

Just as they were about to reach the automatic exit doors, the nurse called out.

'Ah, Tony?'

Tony turned and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

'Despite the plague, and the psychic, and the fact that you were once locked in a crate… give me a call. I'm intrigued,' she said, smiling.

Tony treated her to one of his most dazzling smiles before Abby started tugging on his arm.

'Less flirting. More hurrying,' she urged him.

…………………………………………………………..

Gibbs was in a particularly foul mood, noted McGee. The Boss had barely spoken a word that morning and had spent most of his time scowling at the precious little useful information they had gathered about Officer Partington. McGee found himself looking with a mixture of eagerness and apprehension every time the lift doors opened. _What would this psychic look like?_, he wondered. McGee had vague notions of shawls, crystal balls and incense. She'd be old too, he mused. Oldish, at least. Definitely wrinkly. With rings on her fingers – lots of rings. McGee winced again as Gibbs punched his 'enter' key with unnecessary force. Whatever she was like, McGee already felt sorry for her.

Gibbs felt McGee's eyes on him and threw the younger agent a look that sent his eyes straight back to his computer screen.

Gibbs resented Jenny's interference in his case. He resented being told who he had to deal with. He resented wasting precious time with some crackpot who claimed she had one more sense than he had.

Gibbs looked up as Ziva came hurrying in. He nodded curtly and looked back to his monitor again. At least he'd had one piece of good news that morning. Tony's doctor said he was happy to let him go. As long as he was fit to work, a dose of Dinozzo just might negate the 'need' to involve the so-called psychic. Tony's police background and personal history had left him well-skilled at looking at cases from different angles than the often cynical Ziva and naïve McGee. Despite what Tony wanted other people to think, Gibbs knew that Tony had an adept brain for solving puzzles. And, using his brain was about all Tony was going to be doing for a while. Gibbs did not want to see his senior filed agent putting himself at risk unnecessarily with an already compromised level of health.

Again the lift doors opened, and this time the expected visitor emerged.

'Agents Gibbs, David and McGee, may I introduce Madame Vay,' said Jenny in her silky smooth manner.

Madame Vay was probably in her mid 50's, but appearances can be deceiving. Her grey-white hair was pulled back into a smooth bun. She wore a soft green, long-sleeved dress with lace-up black boots. A black shawl, McGee noted, was draped across her shoulders.

'Very nice to meet you,' said McGee as he shook the ringless hand she had extended towards him.

She smiled kindly before turning her attention to Gibbs. Recognition passed between them but neither displayed any surprise – Gibbs because it was not in his nature, and Vay because she had had an inkling that they would meet again. But they both remembered clearly the last time they had met and the conversation that had taken place.

**FLASHBACK**

'_Thank you for your help,' Gibbs told Vay, extending his hand to her. She grasped his hand firmly and met his steely gaze._

'_He is still not recovered fully from the sickness to his lungs,' she said, her voice hushed and urgent. 'And he will not look after himself properly because he does not want to seem weak. He wants desperately to make YOU proud. You mean much more to him than you realize.'_

_Gibbs' eyes burned into hers but she did not let go of his hand until he nodded._

'It is a small world,' Vay said to Gibbs by way of greeting. Seeing Jenny's raised eyebrows, Ziva interjected.

'We met Madame Vay about three months ago,' she explained, smiling graciously at the psychic.

'We were investigating a crime that was committed next to her business,' Gibbs hastened to add. There was no way he wanted Jenny thinking that he had been one of her clients.

'Well I guess I'll leave you to it, agent Gibbs,' said Jenny. 'Please keep me updated.'

Once Jenny was upstairs, and Ziva had begun to lead Vay and Gibbs to the Conference Room, the lift doors opened again and out shot Abby and Tony.

'Probie!' shouted Tony urgently. 'Is she here yet? Tell me I haven't missed Gibbs' mumbo jumbo lecture!'

Before McGee could answer, Tony's eyes settled on Ziva, an unimpressed Gibbs and a woman he had seen somewhere before.

'Ooops!' said Abby.

'What she said,' said Tony apologetically as they approached the trio with McGee. As he neared the woman, he too recalled where he had seen her before.

**FLASHBACK**

_Madam Vay looked at Tony and noticed the way he stood by the older man's side; slightly back and at the ready. Gibbs continued to make notes in his book, ignoring the exchange. _

'_Is there anything else you can tell us about this morning?' Gibbs asked, turning his attention back to her._

'_No,' she replied quietly, 'but I would like to address this young man.'_

'_Go ahead,' said Gibbs, slightly amused. 'Tony, this is Madam Vay.'_

_Tony took off his cap and stepped forward slightly, casting a puzzled sideways look at Gibbs. Vay reached up and placed her hand gently against Tony's cheek._

'_You have endured much sadness,' she began, 'and you like everyone to think that you are fine. But you are not alone. Let people care about you.' _

_Tony held her gaze for awhile before dropping his to the floor. Sensing his discomfort, the woman removed her hand from his face._

'_Meet me back at the office,' Gibbs told him, giving him an out. _

'_Nice to meet you,' said Tony before donning his cap and leaving, quickly._

Before Tony could find his voice again, Gibbs held open the Conference Room door and indicated that the whole group was to go inside.

'Let's get this over with,' he muttered under his breath.


	8. Chapter 8

Drowning

Chapter 8

Once the team and their visitor were seated at the large desk, all eyes turned to Gibbs. After all, it wasn't every day that a woman claiming to have psychic powers was invited to assist with a case. No one doubted that Gibbs was highly annoyed at having Vay in the building, let alone providing assistance. The air was heavy with expectation and questions. Gibbs, however, his face stern and mouth closed tightly, made no comment, even when Abby raised her eyebrows to their maximum height as she looked in his direction.

'I believe it may be for the best if I properly introduce myself,' said Madam Vay, breaking the silence. 'I don't need any highly developed powers to sense that my presence is not welcomed by every person here.'

Abby sent Gibbs a look of disapproval before turning her full attention to Vay, along with the rest of the team.

'I have been a fortune teller/psychic/clairvoyant/medium – whatever term you're most familiar with – for most of my life,' said Vay. 'I have worked professionally as one for the last twenty years – ten of those in San Francisco before moving here. I help people who ask for guidance and the answers to questions about themselves.'

'Cool!' enthused Abby, as Vay paused.

'I have assisted the police once before with a case. I saw a newspaper report about a memorial being planned for a young man who was missing presumed dead. I knew that he was still alive but unable to recall who he was. I convinced the police to re-open the case. He was eventually found alive and well.'

'How did you know he was still alive?' asked Ziva, her curiosity piqued.

'It is difficult to explain,' said Vay. 'I sensed…energies when I read his name. Images came to my mind…and'

'How can you help with the Partington case?' asked Gibbs, interrupting her explanation.

His eyes were hard and his tone was clipped. Vay was not intimidated.

'When I saw the officer's face, it stimulated some visions,' explained Vay. 'I sensed serenity and relief. I saw the face of another woman, very clearly. She was young with glasses and short, blonde hair. She was smiling. I can see her in my mind's eye now – quite clearly. She has a lot to do with what has happened to Officer Partington – but there is no danger or evil.'

Gibbs, if it were possible, looked even more skeptical as Vay spoke. His arms were crossed across his chest. McGee listened politely but was very dubious. There was no logic to what the woman was saying. Intellectually, he was blowing a gasket. Ziva found herself interested. Vay's comments to her the last time they had met had struck a chord with her and she had been mystified as to how the stranger could know something so intimate about her. Tony was being entertained – particularly by Gibbs' reaction to Vay – but he was also unsettled. This was the woman who had seen right through his masks into his soul. He didn't know if he believed in psychic ability, but she'd make an excellent profiler. Abby was really excited about the prospect of spending more time with Vay.

'Gibbs, what if Madam Vay comes down the lab and we can get a computer mock-up of the woman she saw in her vision?' asked Abby, her eyes shining and her pigtails bobbing up and down.

'After that, she can take a look at the information we have so far about Officer Partington and her last known movements,' offered Ziva, smiling at Vay. 'She might get some more…feelings about the case.'

Gibbs felt like the father being outvoted by the wife and kids about getting a new puppy. Was he the only one bothered by the notion of a psychic assisting with a case? After a few more moments of stony silence, Gibbs spoke again.

'Abby, get back to the lab. I'll send Madam Vay along soon. David, Dinozzo and McGee – get back to the office and keep digging.'

'You heard the man,' said Tony, cheerfully, wishing that he could stay and be a fly on the wall while Gibbs and Vay exchanged views of the world. He got up and shooed the other three out ahead of him.

When the door had closed, leaving Vay and Gibbs alone, the silence once again descended.

……………………………………………

Tony followed McGee and Ziva back to the bullpen. Abby had already rushed excitedly back down to her lab to set up what she needed. Suddenly Tony felt kind of awkward. He hadn't been alone with his two team-mates since the incident in the stream. He couldn't remember every detail, but he could remember enough to make him uncomfortable.

'Hey, McGee,' he began, hesitantly as the younger agent sat down at his desk. 'About the other night. Thanks for getting me out of a tight spot. You too, Ziva.'

'Well, your thanks are welcome but unnecessary,' said McGee. 'We're a team. You would have helped rescue me or Ziva if either one of us had been trapped.'

'Yeah,' agreed Tony. 'But if it had been you, McGee, I would have been giving you hell about it. I'm probably due for a few cheap shots from you.'

McGee thought back to the terrible moment when he was convinced that Tony was going to drown. The man must have been terrified, but he'd hardly shown it. McGee knew for a fact that he wouldn't have been able to keep from freaking out.

'I'll keep them for a rainy day,' McGee told him. 'I'm just happy you're okay.'

Tony turned his attention to Ziva who was regarding him with serious eyes. He recalled feeling warm arms wrapped tightly around him in the back of the truck, hearing soft, reassuring words and feeling tender kisses being placed on his forehead. The gratitude he felt towards her went beyond anything he could express in words.

'I am glad you are recovered, Tony,' she told him. She was curious about Tony's ramblings about getting the floor wet, but now was not the time to ask personal questions.

Not trusting his voice, and well aware of the cough he was trying to stifle, Tony smiled and nodded before sitting down at his own desk.

'What do you think Gibbs is telling Madam Vay?' mused Ziva.

'Laying down ground rules,' said Tony as he switched on his P.C. 'He doesn't like having her here. He has to have her here. He wants her to follow some rules.'

'I don't know why the director agreed to have her help,' said McGee, his brow furrowed. 'None of what she said made sense. I mean it's not… logical.'

'Gibbs' gut is not logical,' said Ziva. 'Instinct. Feelings in your gut or in your heart can make the difference in a case.'

'Yes, but Abby can't be serious about putting out a BOLO on a picture generated by someone's vision!' exclaimed McGee. 'Tony, back me up here!'

'Cut her some slack, McGee,' was Tony's unexpected reply as his fingers continued to fly over the keyboard. 'We've got nothing else to go on. Just because you can't measure something scientifically doesn't mean it isn't valid.'

McGee stared open-mouthed at the older agent before shaking his head.

'Maybe that cold water affected your brain after all,' he muttered.

'That's one cheap shot,' said Tony, good-naturedly as he continued to type. 'Two more to go and then we're even.'

………………………………………………….

Once Gibbs was left alone with Vay, he planned to be the first one to speak, but the woman spoke first.

'You are not a believer,' she told him, 'but you are curious. You are not as cynical as you would have the others believe you to be.'

'I don't want to get the Partington family's hopes up,' Gibbs told her, his face stern.

'That will not happen,' she reassured him. 'I would only directly liaise with the family if you want me to.'

'You say nothing to the press and inform a member of my team the moment you think you know anything,' Gibbs told her. 'And don't expect me to drop what I think is a concrete lead to follow one of your… visions.'

Vay nodded and sat back, resting her hands on the table.

'Agent Dinozzo had a very lucky escape,' she told him. Gibbs said nothing, but he could not deny that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in response to her statement.

'You saved his life,' she continued. 'You also remind him of what he did not have as a child and as a young man growing up.'

Gibbs considered her words, his blue eyes meeting her brown ones. She leant forward and touched his arm gently.

'Your connection is strong,' she told him in a hushed tone. 'And that connection is very important. And even if you truly don't believe in what I say, you must both be very careful. The danger is not yet over, and you may soon be both in harm's way.'


	9. Chapter 9

Drowning

Chapter 9

'This is wonderful technology,' Vay told Abby as they worked together. One facial feature at a time, Abby had compiled a picture of a woman according to the psychic's description.

'You're making it easy for me!' enthused Abby. 'You're so definite about the details. Usually I just get vague descriptions from witnesses to work with and then I have to make educated guesses to fill in the blanks.'

'It was a particularly clear vision,' Vay told her as she gazed at the finished picture. 'That is exactly the woman I saw in my mind.'

'Cool!' said Abby. 'I'll send it up to Gibbs.'

When she'd done so, Abby broached the subject she'd been bursting to bring up – well, at least one of them.

'Madam Vay, I hope Gibbs wasn't too – you know –_ blunt_ when he spoke with you back in the Conference Room.'

Vay laughed softly.

'I have met blunter men,' she told the younger woman.

'He can be _really_ scary,' continued Abby, her tone sincere, 'but he's not so bad once you get to know him.'

'He is very cautious, and wisely so,' said Vay. 'He tries hard to protect people, especially those he is most fond of, but it is not always possible to keep people safe from harm. That is something that must be very difficult for a man like him to deal with.'

Abby thought about Gibbs' first wife and child, and Kate, and Paula, and the times when a member of his team had nearly met with death. It was true. Gibbs was the quintessential patriarchal leader, but he wasn't God.

'Madam Vay,' ventured Abby, 'do you read Tarot Cards?'

Vay smiled and nodded.

'I do and I'd be happy to read for you. I enjoy your energy. Although I doubt that Agent Gibbs would be happy to come across me doing a reading in his workplace.'

'Oh, he'd have a major meltdown and ban Caffpows indefinitely!' exclaimed Abby. 'I was wondering if you'd like to come to my place for dinner. Tonight?'

'It would be my pleasure,' said Vay, warmly.

Abby clapped her hands together excitedly as she contemplated what would definitely be an intriguing evening.

……………………………………

In the bullpen, Gibbs scrutinized the picture Abby had generated with Vay's input. It had been put out as a BOLO against his better judgement. Vay's involvement in the case had him quite rattled. Under other circumstances he would have fought tooth and nail against someone like her even setting foot in the building, but this woman had inexplicably known about Tony's recent accident. During their first encounter, she had accurately warned Gibbs about Tony's need to recover further. And now she was warning him about further dangers. It had to be just clever guesswork or cunning, but Gibbs could not dismiss her totally.

The ringing of his phone interrupted his reverie.

'Gibbs…….What?............When? ……………Has the scene been secured? ……..Keep it that way until we arrive.'

Ending the call, Gibbs called down to Abby's lab.

'Abs….yeah I got it….. tell Madam Vay to meet me out the front. No time to explain, Abby. Just tell her.'

As he stood up and pulled open his drawer to retrieve his gun, McGee, Ziva and Tony followed suit.

'Where're we going, Boss?' asked Tony, still the only one of the team who dared ask questions instead of waiting to be told.

'_You're_ not going anyway, Dinozzo,' said Gibbs, his tone clipped. 'David and McGee, we're going back to the stream. The conservation team sent to clean up seems to think the tree that knocked us into the water didn't fall by accident.'

'Hey, come on Boss!' protested Tony, anger and frustration evident in his voice. 'The doc cleared me. What use am I gonna be here?'

'You've just got out of the damn hospital!' Gibbs told him as McGee hurried to the lift. 'And don't think I haven't noticed you trying not to cough for the last couple of hours. You're no use to me if you end up with pneumonia! Go and give Abby a hand or go home and get some rest. David! What are you waiting for?'

Ziva sent Tony a sympathetic look before falling into step behind Gibbs. As the lift doors closed, Tony sat, deflated, in his chair.

'Fine!' he said out aloud to the empty room, and crossed his arms sulkily across his chest. He hated being left alone and left out. It reminded him of…never mind. He didn't want to go down that particular memory lane right now. He looked up and into the eyes of the picture Abby had sent up. Gibbs had left it displayed on the large monitor. The woman depicted was young and blonde with brown eyes. Her hair was styled into a sharp bob. She wore gold-rimmed glasses. There was a distinct, round beauty spot on her left cheek. Tony stood up and walked closer to the monitor. There was something familiar about her, he decided, but he couldn't place her. After a few moments of staring at the picture, he shrugged and decided to take Gibbs' advice and see if Abby needed some help. There was no way he was going home.

……………………………………………..

Gibbs squatted down to examine what the park ranger had pointed out. The base of the tree that they assumed had been struck by lightning, had most definitely been sheered by a man-made tool. There were no scorch marks on what remained of the trunk. The tree had been deliberately felled.

'McGee. Photographs,' he ordered. 'David, scan the immediate area.'

As the two agents sprung into action, Gibbs looked down towards the stream where Tony had struggled to stay alive. The memory of those moments chilled him. The idea that someone had deliberately sent the tree towards them made him bristle with anger.

'Any prints have been covered by the conservation team,' Ziva called to him.

'Who do you think did this?' the ranger asked Gibbs.

'Whoever did nearly took four lives,' said Gibbs, his eyes still on the stream.

'Pretty unfortunate coincidence,' continued the ranger.

Gibbs glared at him and walked off to where Madam Vay was standing closer to the water.

'What's with him?' the ranger asked Ziva.

'Do not take it personally,' she told the man. 'He simply does not believe in coincidences.'

Madam Vay heard Gibbs approach and turned to him.

'Getting any vibes?' he asked her, trying hard to keep the cynicism out of his voice.

'The incident was frightening, particularly for you and for Agent Dinozzo,' she told him, her eyes sympathetic.

'About Officer Partington,' Gibbs said, his annoyance clear.

'You think this has something to do with her disappearance?' she asked.

'Well, she was the only reason we were here!' he said impatiently. 'Maybe whoever's responsible for her disappearance tried to stop us from discovering evidence.'

Vay looked along the bank, at the water and back at thick foliage.

'Nothing evil happened to her here,' she told Gibbs with confidence. 'She is in a safe place. I do not believe what happened to your team had anything to do with her disappearance.'

Gibbs fixed his eyes upon hers for a few moments.

'Well, we're going to be a while collecting any _real_ evidence before we head back,' he told her before turning to rejoin Ziva and McGee.

'As you should,' Vay agreed as she turned her gaze back to the water once again. There had certainly been an evil predator here, but the intended victim had _not_ been Officer Partington.


	10. Chapter 10

Drowning

_Hi all. A shorter chapter this time. I'll soon be away with husband and kids for a couple of weeks down the beach, but I'll try to post the next chapter before I go. Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Zan_

Chapter 10

Abby hummed softly to herself as she finished preparing dinner while her guest slept soundly on the couch in her loungeroom. They had been watching a DVD together, but her visitor had eventually and unsurprisingly fallen asleep after a tiring couple of days. Despite her important role at NCIS, Abby enjoyed spending time in the kitchen; particularly when she was guaranteed good company and intriguing conversation.

As she placed the condiments on the table, she smiled at the sounds of soft snoring coming from her living room.

'Too cute!' she thought to herself.

Hearing soft steps outside, Abby hurried to open the door so that Madam Vay would not ring the doorbell and disturb Abby's other guest.

'Hi!' she greeted the psychic warmly. 'Please come in and follow me,' she added in a hushed voice.

Vay followed Abby through the living room to the kitchen, smiling as she saw the lanky form of Agent Dinozzo stretched out on the couch, a warm blanket covering him.

'Madam Vay, I hope you don't mind that Tony's staying for dinner too,' Abby told Vay as they settled at the kitchen bench. 'He was kind of cut that Gibbs didn't let him go out into the field today, and I didn't want him to go home and be by himself. And then he was just so beat that he fell asleep. I don't really want to wake him yet.'

'That's perfectly fine', Vay told Abby. 'He looks pretty content. Let him sleep. And Abby? Perhaps you could call me Miranda. It's much less formal.'

Abby grinned happily and nodded.

……………………………………………….

The time neared 8pm. Gibbs sat at his desk reviewing old cases and trying to match them with recent criminal releases. Not long after they'd returned from the reserve, he'd sent McGee and Ziva home. He did not feel like telling either of them yet that the team was possibly being targeted by someone with a grudge against them. It had happened before, it was true, but this time their only 'evidence' was the word of a psychic. Gibbs had been extremely grateful to find a handwritten note from Abby on his desk that said that she had taken Tony home with her. Abby didn't need psychic ability to now that Gibbs was concerned about Tony. She knew that Gibbs would fell less worried knowing that she was keeping an eye on him.

…………………………………………………………..

When Tony woke up, he vaguely wondered where he was. He knew he was no longer in the hospital. Bethesda did not smell like a combination of lavender incense and lasagna. Opening his eyes and focusing on a weird, Picasso-like painting on the wall, Tony realized he was at Abby's. As his senses sharpened, he could detect two lowered voices coming from the kitchen. Recognizing one of them as Madam Vay's, he inwardly cringed and decided to feign sleep as long as he could. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he was struck by a burst of coughing that he could not suppress. It predictably resulted in a concerned Abby coming in to see how he was.

'I'm fine, Ab's', he tried to assure her as he sat up and took the glass of water she had brought him.

'Tony, you sounded terrible!' she exclaimed. 'Didn't the doctor give you medicine or something?'

'Ab's, it's nothing!' persisted Tony. 'My throat's just dry from sleeping with my mouth open. Sorry about leaving you to watch the rest of Magnum by yourself, by the way,' he added apologetically.

'That's okay,' said Abby. 'Just as long as you're not just_ saying_ you're fine.'

She stood up and held out her hand to him.

'Come and have some dinner,' she said cheerfully. 'We saved you some lasagna. I made it just like you showed me.'

'It's delicious,' came a voice from the dining room table. Tony stood up and smiled nervously at Abby.

'Maybe I'll just go and leave you two to… whatever it is that a goth chick and a psychic talk about,' he said to Abby in a hushed tone. 'I'm not really hungry.'

'No way, mister,' said Abby, pulling him by the arm to the table. 'You need to eat and you don't have a car here. We'll eat, then talk, then you can help me do the dishes, and then I'll take you home. Unless you want me to ring Gibbs and tell him that you're coughing and you have no appetite for perfectly good Italian food.'

Knowing he had lost the battle before it had really begun, Tony went to the table, nodded his greeting to Vay and sat down.

'Good evening, Agent Dinozzo,' said Vay, in her affable, disarming manner.

'Hi, and…ah… it's Tony,' said the senior field agent.

'And I'm Miranda,' said Vay as Abby placed a generous serving of lasagna in front of her friend. She and Vay had already finished their meal while Tony was sleeping. Tony complimented Abby on how great the meal smelt and looked before gesturing to a piece of glittering material that was spread out on the table.

'Pretty fancy tablecloth, Ab's' he remarked just before putting a forkful into his mouth.

'Oh, it's divine!' gushed Abby. 'But it's not a tablecloth. It's Miranda's reading cloth. She's going to do some tarot reading tonight. I've always wanted my own tarot cards and learn how to read them.' She ignored the look of horror that passed briefly over Tony's handsome features.

'Tarot cards are more special when they are a gift from someone who has a deep, caring connection with you,' said Vay, picking up her own cards. 'Mine were given to me by an elderly lady who I read to while she was convalescing.'

'And the cloth?' asked Abby.

'From my late husband,' said Vay. 'I feel very close to him every time I take the cards from the cloth to do a reading. Would you like me to read for you now?' she asked Abby.

'Absolutely!' exclaimed Abby. 'You don't mind, Tony. We can wait until you've finished eating.'

'Go ahead,' said Tony between mouthfuls. Just as long as _he_ wasn't going to be subject to a reading, he didn't really care what they did.

'And then Miranda will read yours,' said Abby sweetly.


	11. Chapter 11

Drowning

Chapter 11

The young forensic scientist watched, fascinated, as Vay placed the cards shuffled by Abby down onto the cloth. As grounded as she was in science and all things logical, Abby had plenty of room in her mind for things that could not be explained scientifically. Why else, for example, could Gibbs magically appear in the lab just as Abby had news to give him? Why else would Abby's feelings of doom always coincide with some terrible incident befalling one of them? Why else would she feel Kate's presence in the lab, long after her friend had been taken from them? Abby had always kept an open mind about such things.

'This is a basic Celtic Cross reading,' Vay was telling them. 'It tells the reader something about what's central to your life at this moment, and about your immediate and short term future.'

'The cards are so beautiful!' exclaimed Abby. 'Don't you think they're beautiful Tony?'

'Yep,' Tony agreed. 'Great lasagna, Abs. Okay if I pour myself some wine?'

'Sure,' said Abby, not taking her eyes from the cards. 'That's what it's there for.'

Vay smiled at their interchange as she studied the spread.

'You are about to embark on some form of learning,' said Vay. 'A course, perhaps.'

'Oh my God!' exclaimed Abby. 'I'm starting an online course next week!'

'You're_ always_ doing courses,' said Tony. Abby chose to ignore his cynical remark.

'You love your job and get great satisfaction from it,' continues Vay.

_She could easily have worked that out already_ thought Tony as he took another sip of wine. He could feel himself becoming more and more relaxed. This reading business wasn't so bad after all.

'There is an older man in your life,' said Vay as she pointed to the King of Wands. 'He is very much like a guide. You love to please him and to make him proud.'

'Gee, wonder who _that_ is, Ab's', said Tony, cheekily.

'It might not be Gibbs,' Abby retorted as she swatted his arm.

'He's over fifty with silver or grey hair. You trust him with your life,' said Vay.

'Okay, so it _is_ Gibbs,' laughed Abby. 'What else? What else?'

'Well, you would love to have children, but now is not quite the right time for you. You will be an excellent parent and your children will adore you.'

_Again _thought Tony _I could have told her that. What kid wouldn't like Abby as a mom?_

'Any advice?' asked Abby, clearly pleased with what she'd been told so far.

'Be open to any relationship scenario you haven't previously considered seriously,' said Vay. 'That may sound a bit vague, but that's all I can say.'

'Mmmmmm,' said Abby. 'Keep an open mind regarding all possible suitors. I guess I can do that.'

Vay collected up the cards and began to reshuffle them.

'Come on Tony. Let's see what yours say,' urged Abby. Tony drained the remaining contents of his glass and shrugged. On the one hand, he didn't believe in this kind of…stuff. On the other hand, Vay already seemed to be able to read him accurately enough _without_ the tarot cards – something he definitely wasn't comfortable with. But he didn't want to disappoint Abby who was looking at him with expectation all over her lovely face.

'Okay,' he agreed.

'Yay!' exclaimed Abby.' Just wait for me for a sec. I have to pee.'

'She's all class,' said Tony as he took the cards that Vay held out to him to shuffle.

'I will not reveal anything I sense you may be uncomfortable with,' she told him, her eyes sincere and empathic. She could see the trepidation in Tony's green eyes. This was a man who chose to only reveal so much of himself to others. She wanted him to know that she respected that.

Tony nodded his thanks and turned his attention to shuffling the cards.

'What did I miss?' asked Abby as she hurriedly returned to her seat.

'Only my superior shuffling skills,' Tony said teasingly.

Vay took back the cards and placed them into their correct positions. She gazed at them thoughtfully. Her face gave nothing away.

'I see two women,' Vay began.

'Only_** two**_?' exclaimed Abby. 'Tony, you're slipping!'

'Quiet,' said Tony, his eyes laughing. 'This is important!'

'One is dark – skin, hair and eyes. The other is pale-skinned with eyes like rare jewels. You admire them both but you feel as though you don't stand a chance with either. With one of them, you would like very much to take your relationship to the next level. You are afraid, however, of what you might lose if you do – and of hurting someone else.'

_It has to be Ziva! _Thought Abby excitedly. _He couldn't do all that undercover work with her without falling for her!_

'Someone from your past is going to return,' continued Vay. 'You must be very careful and vigilant.'

'Tony _**has**_ to be careful and vigilant,' said Abby, 'or else Gibbs will kill him.'

'True,' agreed Tony as his eyes scanned the cards. 'What about this card at the end, Miranda. It looks kinda scary.'

'That is the Death Card,' Miranda told him. 'Don't be concerned. In that position it simply means that you will soon begin a new chapter in your life.'

'That's a relief,' said Tony, leaning back in his seat. 'I thought you were gonna tell me that my days were numbered. Not that I believe in this stuff. No offence.'

Vay collected up the cards and wrapped them carefully in the cloth. She thought about the other things she had seen in the young man's cards and chose her words carefully before she spoke again.

'Tony, whether you believe in this …stuff or not, please be particularly careful when you are with Agent Gibbs. The person from your past is not happy with either of you.'

Tony locked eyes with Vay for a few moments until the ringing of his cell phone made him jump a little. He fished it out of his pocket and gave a wry smile when he saw who was ringing him.

'Speak of the devil,' he said. 'Hey, Boss. Just give me a minute will you?'

Rising from his seat, he excused himself before heading out onto the small balcony.

'Yeah, Boss.'

'Dinozzo, don't bother coming into work tomorrow morning.'

'Oh come on!' said Tony, frustration rising. 'I'm fine!'

'Dinozzo!' said Gibbs, sharply. 'Be ready at 9.00am sharp. I'm picking you up on my way to see Partington's parents. They got some kind of communication from her and they want to discuss it in person.'

'Oh, okay Boss,' said Tony, remembering in time not to apologise. 'I'll be ready.'

'Yes you will,' said Gibbs before terminating the call.

Tony smiled and pocketed his cell. Gibbs was apparently back to being his abrupt self again. Things seemed to be back to normal.

While Tony was taking the call from Gibbs, Abby lowered her voice to speak to Vay.

'I _**so**_ knew that Tony was interested in Ziva – Agent David. I wish he'd just go for it and ask her out. It would be so great to see him in a serious relationship.'

Vay smiled at Abby. She privately agreed that a loving relationship was something Tony was ready to celebrate, but she knew it was not Agent David that he was interested in.


	12. Chapter 12

Drowning

Chapter 12

When Gibbs pulled up outside Tony's building early the next morning, the younger agent was already waiting out front. _Anything to prove he's recovered and fit for active duty, _thought Gibbs.

'Hey Boss,' was Tony's chirpy greeting as he got into the passenger seat. 'Remind me _why _we're headed to the Partingtons.'

'They got a note,' said Gibbs. 'Apparently from their daughter, saying she's fine.'

'So we're just gonna check out the note,' said Tony as he hung on while Gibbs turned a corner in his usual vigorous manner.

'Doesn't exactly sound like something that needs both of us, but then I guess I should be grateful that I'm back _in the field._'

Tony's last three words were sarcastically accompanied by quotation mark gestures, which was unfortunate because it meant he wasn't hanging on when Gibbs brought the car to an abrupt halt in the emergency lane.

'Dinozzo, surely you're not that stupid that you'd think I'd send you out into the field straight from the hospital. You cannot expect to go from a near drowning to the hospital to the bullpen to the field.'

Tony met Gibbs' angry eyes for a moment before turning away. Gibbs was about to give him another serve when he remembered Vay's words about Gibbs being what Tony didn't have as a child. He softened his approach and his tone just a little.

'I just don't want to see you get really sick again, Tony. If _you_ don't give a damn about yourself, spare a thought for those who give a damn about _you_.'

Tony nodded to show that he had heard him, but continued to look out of the side window. Mercifully, the car began moving again and the conversation moved on too…eventually.

'So, Abby fed you last night,' said Gibbs.

_Oh my God! Gibbs is doing small talk _thought Tony.

'Ah, yeah,' he replied. 'It was a pretty freaky evening.'

'Define freaky,' said Gibbs, the corners of his mouth turning up. In his experience, the words 'freaky' and 'Abby' usually went together.

'Vay was there,' explained Tony. 'Abby got her to read tarot cards for us. There was no traffic accident in mine, which, incidentally, is the only reason why I'm not concerned by our current speed.'

'What do _you_ think of our visiting psychic?' Gibbs asked, knowing that being asked his opinion would please Tony.

'Creepy,' said Tony. 'I mean, she makes pretty vague, general statements that could easily be educated guesses, but a couple of things she said put chills right through me.'

'Mmm,' was Gibbs' reply. He had come to a similar conclusion.

……………………………………..

At the home of Veronica and Andrew Partington, Gibbs and Tony were shown into a beautifully furnished sun room and offered tea or coffee. Declining both, Gibbs cut to the chase and asked to see the letter from their daughter. Andrew Partington removed a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. Gibbs put on his glasses to read it, holding it so that Tony could also.

_**Dear Mother and Father,**_

_**I write to tell you that I am safe and well. I have decided to change my life and myself. I no longer want to go down the path you chose for me. Please do not concern yourself about my welfare. I ask that you do not try to contact me.**_

_**Regards, Dianne.**_

'You're sure it's her handwriting?' asked Gibbs.

'Absolutely,' said Andrew, without hesitation. 'We were so relieved to receive word from her last night, weren't we Veronica?'

'Yes, agreed his wife. Now we can stop worrying and NCIS can move on to more important matters.'

'You were originally adamant that Dianne's disappearance was totally out of character,' said Gibbs, scanning the couple's face. 'What's changed?'

'This,' said Andrew, taking back the letter and holding it up. 'It's just a shame that Dianne didn't come to us about her unhappiness instead of taking such desperate measures.'

'We really do thank you and apologise for the inconvenience,' said Veronica as she stood up. Gibbs saw her words and actions for what they were – a polite dismissal.

Once in the car, Tony exhaled loudly.

'Your thoughts?' asked Gibbs. While Tony had remained mostly silent during the visit, Gibbs knew his senior field agent had taken in every detail.

'Well,' began Tony, 'besides thinking that my father would have regarded a letter like that from me as a god-send, those people were too eager to have us leave. They're old money. Worth an absolute fortune. All the items of furniture in that room were collector's pieces. There was an original Monet on the wall. Their responses to our questions were slick – rehearsed. Yes, they would be relieved to hear from their daughter but they'd also be anger and the desire to know more. It smells all wrong, Boss. Maybe they're going to pay some private investigator to find her.'

'Vay,' said Gibbs, 'says that Partington is in no danger. Ties in with the note.'

'Your point?' Tony said, using a well-worn Gibbsism. 'She has no evidence to back up what she says. All we really have is a missing naval officer, a note and parents who have suddenly started singing a different tune.'

Gibbs gave a rare laugh and clapped Tony on the shoulder.

'Now _that's_ why you're my senior field agent!' he told him.

Tony only had the briefest of moments to bask in the compliment from Gibbs before a bullet shattered the car windscreen and lodged itself into Gibbs, causing their car to veer wildly out of control.


	13. Chapter 13

Drowning

Chapter 13

The car careered crazily down the embankment and came to a stop in the shallow creek running along side the highway. Tony had managed to brace himself for impact, but the moment the car stopped moving, his attention was immediately on Gibbs. The older agent was slumped forward onto the steering wheel. With trembling hands, Tony pulled his boss back against the seat. To his horror, blood had stained Gibbs' shirt and was continuing to flow.

'Boss! Boss! Oh God!! No, you can't be dead!' shouted Tony. He could feel the hysteria rising within him as he placed shaking fingers against Gibbs' neck. He almost cried with relief when he felt the pulse.

'Okay! Okay! He's not dead. Get a grip, Dinozzo!' he told himself. Unbuckling his own seat belt, he ripped off one of the long sleeves of his top and balled it up to create a makeshift bandage. Not bothering to remove Gibbs' shirt, Tony placed the bandage over the wound that was just below the right shoulder, and applied pressure to try to stem the bleeding. It was then that he noticed the growing lump on Gibbs' forehead where he had connected with the steering wheel. _Explains why he's not conscious_ thought Tony, grimly. Continuing to apply pressure, he reached for his cell with his other hand. Before he had a chance to make a call, he looked down to see why his feet were wet. There was water seeping into the floor of the car.

'What gives with the water lately!' he asked out aloud in exasperation. He quickly pressed the auto dial.

'McGee! I need an ambulance!'

'What's happened?'

'Explain later. Gibbs has been shot.' Upon making this statement, Tony was suddenly struck by a coughing fit that caused him to drop the phone into his lap, luckily not into the water. Recovering, Tony retrieved the phone and put it back to his ear.

'Tony!' yelled McGee for the third time.

'Yeah,' managed Tony.

'Are you alright?' came McGee's worried voice.

'Just get a freaking ambulance!' demanded Tony through gritted teeth. 'Use your geek crap and track my cell!'

Leaving the line open Tony tossed the cell onto the dash, amongst the broken glass, and lifted the makeshift bandage from Gibbs' body to check the wound. Blood was still flowing slightly. Gibbs was still unconscious. Placing the bandage back and applying more pressure, Tony gave a noise that was half cough/half sob.

'Boss, I swear I won't ever play Tetris on my phone at work anymore. I'll stop referring to old movies at inappropriate times, and I'll stop making comments about McGee's taste in clothes. Just..just don't die!'

Gibbs stirred and opened his eyes a crack. He could see Tony's distraught face hovering over him.

'Shut the hell up, will ya Dinozzo,' he mumbled. They were the sweetest seven words Tony had ever heard.

'Boss! Thank God! You've been shot. We're off the road. McGee's sent an ambulance. Are you hurt anywhere else?'

Gibbs shut his eyes again for a moment while he assessed how he was feeling.

'I'm okay,' he eventually said as he re-opened his eyes. 'What about you? Cough sounds worse.'

Tony felt tears prick at the back of his eyes but he blinked them back furiously. The man had been shot but was worried about _him._ Tony said nothing and again checked to see if the bleeding had stopped. It had – a little, but Gibbs was looking pale. Tony had no idea where the bullet was lodged. If Gibbs' breathing started to become any shallower, Tony thought he might lose it.

As the younger agent placed the material back over the wound, Gibbs grabbed Tony's wrist tightly.

'Hospital,' Gibbs grunted as his eyes bored into Tony's.

'I know,' said Tony. 'McGee's sending an ambulance. It'll be here soon.'

'No. _You_,' said Gibbs. 'Cough's worse. Breathing's noisy.'

'For God's sake, Boss!' exclaimed Tony, exasperated. '_You're _the one who's been shot! You could be dying, and you're still giving me crap about needing to go to the damn hospital!'

'Tony,' said Gibbs. 'I'm NOT dying, but you thought that I was, right?'

Tony swallowed and gave a small 'yeah' in response.

'Well,' said Gibbs, 'when you had the plague, and every cough sounded like it was your last breath, how do you think the team felt? How do you think _I _felt? You're going back to that damn hospital Tony. You're not putting me through that again.'

Tony felt his eyes fill. Only Gibbs could make him feel so valued and so humbled at exactly the same time.

'Okay Boss,' he said, hoarsely.

Gibbs nodded, satisfied, and patted Tony's arm before letting go and shutting his eyes again. To Tony's alarm, his Boss seemed to suddenly turn an even paler shade of grey.

_Come on, McGee_, Tony thought to himself. _Rescue right now would be really great._

…………………………………………….

Up on the edge of the road, McGee stood peering down the slope where the emergency workers and paramedics had gone, shading his eyes with his hand against the glare of the sun. He had left NCIS in too much of a hurry to grab his cap. Abby stood beside him, gripping his arm. She had been with him when Tony had made the call. In her words 'There was no way in Hell' she was not going to the accident scene with McGee.

'They'll be okay, they'll be okay, they'll be okay,' Abby was chanting under her breath. McGee had to admit that he was worried too. All he knew was that Gibbs had been shot, Tony was being badly affected by fits of coughing, and Tony had sounded very edgy. Unbeknown to Abby, McGee had heard the private conversation that had taken place between Gibbs and Tony before they had stopped speaking. Despite leaving the line open while he drove to the site, McGee had heard nothing for the last twenty minutes besides the occasional burst of coughing from Tony.

'There!' squeaked Abby suddenly, digging her fingernails into McGee's arm. 'Oh my God!' she added as she saw that Gibbs was being carried out on a stretcher. McGee managed to keep her back as the unconscious man was loaded into the waiting ambulance. At least the paramedics seemed to be calm and relatively unhurried, which McGee took as a positive sign. Turning back to look down the embankment again, the pair saw Tony making his way up on foot, assisted by a paramedic and an emergency worker.

'Good work, Mc Colombo. I knew you'd find us,' Tony commented as the trio reached the road. He was obviously attempting a jovial tone but McGee could see the stress in his face and the concern in his eyes.

'It was the geek crap that did it,' McGee told him as Abby gave Tony a hug to reassure herself that he was alive.

'Agent Dinozzo, you need to come with us,' interrupted the paramedic. 'We need to get you checked out at Bethesda.'

'Yeah, fine,' said Tony, releasing himself from Abby. He'd promised Gibbs he'd go to the hospital – he was keeping that promise. Besides, going to hospital meant that he'd ride in the ambulance with his boss and get a better idea of how he was.

'Meet you there,' McGee called to him as the senior field agent was led into the ambulance.

Once inside, Tony sat and looked over to where two paramedics were attending to Gibbs. When the ambulance doors were closed and the vehicle was on its way, Tony looked down to see blood. On his hands. Gibbs' blood. Closing his eyes, Tony inwardly shuddered. Nausea hovered and he felt a little light-headed. Gibbs was right about needing to go to the hospital. He didn't feel too well at all.


	14. Chapter 14

Drowning

_Hi! Thanks for your patience while I've been away. Just trying to get back into the swing of things. Zan._

Chapter 14

Dr. Brad Pitt was concerned about his patient. Usually the cause of his concern about Tony Dinozzo was the special agent's unwillingness to take his own health seriously. Even when the man was pretty much on his last legs in an isolation ward, he had continued flirting with the nurse and making references to movies. Now, Tony was quiet, co-operative and raising no objections to being examined and X-rayed. Even while he was having blood drawn, Tony made no comment. It was frankly unnerving.

'No Dracula impersonations this time, Tony?' asked Pitt as the nurse left to take the blood samples to the lab.

'Huh?' was the reply. It was as if Tony had been a million miles away.

'Are you sure you didn't hit your head during the accident?' asked Pitt as he peered at Tony's pale forehead for any sign of a bump. 'No offence, but you usually have all the symptoms of verbal diarrhea when you come in here for treatment.'

Tony sighed, sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, coughing a little as he did so.

'Sorry doc,' he said quietly, in a manner that did nothing to ease Brad's concern. 'Are you sure you can't ring someone to see how Gibbs is doing?'

'I told you, it doesn't work that way,' Brad told him, inwardly relieved that Tony's lack of animation was probably the result of concern for his boss rather than a serious malaise. The relationship between Gibbs and Dinozzo was often characterized by a lot of barked orders and one-upmanship, but Brad had seen the deep concern they had for each other.

'But he'd be out of surgery by now, wouldn't he?' persisted Tony. 'And if anything had gone wrong, they would have come and told me, wouldn't they? I mean, he looked pretty bad in the ambulance. And he bled a lot while we were still in the car.'

Brad noticed the way Tony was rubbing his hands together as he spoke. Tony had tried to stop Gibbs from bleeding. It made sense that he would have had Gibbs' blood on his own hands.

Just as Brad was about to try and reassure Tony further, the door to the examination room opened.

'Ducky –' began Tony, his face tense with dread at what the ME was going to report.

'My dear boy, Gibbs is going to be fine!' said Ducky as he approached the bed. 'The surgeon removed the bullet that was lodged just below the clavicle. He came out of surgery fifteen minutes ago. No doubt he'll have the mother of all headaches when he wakes up given the knock he received in the crash, but he'll be up and about in no time.'

Tony let go of all the breath that he hadn't realized he was holding and ran a shaky hand through his hair. Gibbs was going to be alright. At that moment, nothing else mattered.

'Now, what about you?' asked Ducky, casting a meaningful look in Brad's direction.

'I'm fine,' was Tony's automatic response. 'Dr. Pitt's just running some tests to confirm it.'

'Yeah, he's fine,' said Brad, with a deadpan face. 'That's why he's been coughing up mucus and doing a Lady McBeth impersonation.'

'Hey!' objected Tony. 'I make the movie references around here!'

'Actually, it was a play in its purest form,' Ducky corrected him before turning his attention to the doctor.

'Are you concerned about serious respiratory illness?' Ducky asked.

'Perhaps,' said Brad. 'He had that near drowning only a few days ago, and he seems quite run down.'

'I am actually still in the room, you know,' said Tony, testily. Now he knew that Gibbs was going to be fine, his natural aversion to hospitals had returned to its usual prominence in his mind.

'What do you recommend?' Ducky asked Brad.

'I'd like to keep him overnight,' said Brad. 'In the morning I'll have all of the test results and we can make a decision then.'

'Oh come on!' protested Tony. 'Gibbs is out of action. Someone tried to kill us both. We still have a missing officer. And I'm fine! There's no reason for me to stay here overnight.'

'Could you excuse us?' Ducky asked Brad in his politest of tones.

When Dr. Pitt had left them and the door was closed, Ducky made himself comfortable in the chair and took a few moments to choose his words carefully.

'Some time ago,' he began, 'I knew an agent who was gaining a fine reputation for getting results. He would not rest until he had solved the case and put the bad guy in a cell, or on one of my tables. He had remarkable stamina and considerable drive, even then.'

'That's great Ducky, but….' Tony began, before being silenced by Ducky's raised finger.

'He sprained an ankle, not too badly,' continued Ducky. 'He allowed me to examine it, which was a small saving grace I suppose, but he refused to get medical attention or stay off it for the week I suggested because there were criminals to catch and cases to solve.'

'Is there a point, Duck?' asked Tony. 'I really want to get out of here so I can go and see how Gibbs is doing.'

'The point,' said Ducky as he stood up and made his way over to Tony, 'is that his injured ankle became so inflamed, that agent had to eventually have surgery and do desk duty for three months. All because he wouldn't have what was a minor injury tended to properly. Whether you like it or not, Anthony, your lungs were irreversibly compromised by a serious disease. If Dr. Pitt says you need to stay in hospital for one night, you will. Otherwise, you run the real risk of that one night turning into six months or something much worse. And I shall never hear the end of it from Gibbs if he finds out that I let you leave against Dr. Pitt's advice.'

'Okay,' grumbled Tony, looking down at the floor. He knew when he was outnumbered. Besides, he wasn't going to admit it to Ducky, but now that the adrenalin had left his body, his chest was feeling tight and fatigue was creeping down his legs. He looked up when he felt Ducky's hand on his arm.

'The surgeon told me that the blood Gibbs lost was not very great considering the nature of the injury', Ducky told him. 'He said that it appeared he had been given some excellent first aid. I told him that I was not surprised. You did very well, my boy.'

'Thanks Duck,' said Tony. It was good to know he'd done something right. He just hoped the event wasn't going to add itself to the growing list of moments that kept him awake at night.

'


	15. Chapter 15

Drowning

Chapter 15

McGee paused to collect himself before entering his colleague's hospital room. It was no secret that he always felt uncomfortable around injured or sick people, but more so when it was a team member. And his discomfort was only in part due to his inability to know what to say to the patient. To McGee, Dinozzo and Gibbs were pretty much larger than life. Gibbs always seemed to know the way forward, even before the events of a case had finished unfolding. Dinozzo always had that cocky self-assurance that was simultaneously annoying and comforting – especially in a crisis. For McGee, seeing either of them incapacitated was like seeing Superman dosed up on kryptonite. At that thought, McGee made a frantic mental note to himself NOT to EVER verbalise the words 'Tony' and 'Superman' in the same sentence. If he did, Tony would surely show him no mercy and never let him forget it.

Feeling the notebook he was clutching, McGee reminded himself that he was not just paying a social visit to an injured team-member. He needed to get an official statement about the shooting. He had been slightly surprised when Ducky had briefed him fully about the nature and extent of Gibbs' injuries, and informed him that Tony had been re-admitted for at least one night. It had then dawned on him that _he_, Tim McGee was now the acting senior field agent. It was up to him to direct proceedings and keep what was left of the team functioning. It was a scary thought, but nothing compared to what Tony must have been thinking when Gibbs had retired. So, clearing his throat, McGee knocked on the door before resolutely entering.

Tony was reclined in the bed. The television was on and Tony was armed with the remote, clearly disgusted by the late afternoon offerings of free-to-air TV. Tim couldn't help notice that Tony was wearing very un-Dinozzo-like striped pyjamas.

'Ah, McGee,' said Tony, languidly. 'Come to save me from Sesame Street?'

McGee hovered a foot from the bed and nervously eyed the drip that was feeding into a tube in Tony's arm. He hadn't anticipated that. He started to feel a little queasy.

As amused as Tony usually was by McGee's delicate stomach at crime scenes, this time he decided to cut him a little slack. Thanks to McGee's quick work, Gibbs had been rescued quickly.

'Sit,' said Tony, indicating the chair next to the bed. 'Distract me.'

McGee sat down and opened the notebook.

'I, um, I need to get your statement about the shooting,' said McGee, hesitantly. Tony's gaze was still on the television screen. 'If you're feeling up to it, I mean. Gibbs is still out of it, and we really need to start investigating what happened, and, well, we have investigated the crash site, but if you could tell me what happened, that would be a help, but I can come back later if you're not feeling well – '

'McGee!' said Tony, finally giving him his full attention. 'I've been in here for the last hour watching some of the strangest offerings for kids I could ever imagine, praying for conversation that goes beyond weird creatures saying 'Tubby Toast' and 'Big Hug', and now you come in and ramble away to yourself. Get a grip, will ya!'

'Telly Tubbies,' said McGee.

'What?' asked Tony in dismay.

'Those creatures that go on about the Tubby Toast and big hugs. They're Telly Tubbies.'

'I am SO tempted to head slap you right now, Probie,' said Tony. 'And the only reason I'm not going to is because I'll remind myself of Gibbs and that will mean _I_ must manage to frustrate _him_ in the same way you've just frustrated _me_.'

The two men exchanged mild glares and McGee relaxed. This was the kind of atmosphere he was more comfortable with.

'Are you sure you're feeling okay?' McGee asked.

'I'm fine,' said Tony, turning off the television and tossing the remote on the bedside table. 'It's just a precaution.'

'That doesn't look like a precaution,' said McGee, indicating the drip.

'That,' said Tony, 'is some kind of antibiotic cocktail because I have some fluid in my lungs that Dr. Pitt is not comfortable with. I'll be out of here in the morning. Which means that you are in charge until then, so let's stop discussing trivial matters and get onto more important things.'

'Alright,' said McGee, only partially convinced. Whenever Tony was not milking an injury or ailment for all it was worth, alarm bells went off. 'What happened?'

Tony passed his hand across his forehead before crossing his arms across his chest.

'We'd driven about five blocks from the Partington House,' he began. 'Gibbs was driving, of course. We were talking about the case as we came to the bend in Forest Road.' Tony stopped as he remembered the compliment Gibbs had paid him and the pat on the shoulder. He swallowed in an attempt to keep down the lump in his throat.

'The windscreen suddenly shattered,' said Tony, his voice quieter than normal. 'Single shot. Bullet went straight into Gibbs.'

Silence invaded the room at that point. McGee was acutely aware of the way Tony's breathing had become shallow and shorter. He felt the hairs stand up at the back of his own neck as he imagined what it would have been like in the car with Gibbs.

'Car ran off the road, after that,' said Tony, expertly reining in his emotions. 'Have witnesses come forward?'

'None yet,' said McGee. 'Are you sure you didn't see any pedestrians roadside? The shooter was definitely on foot.'

'_I _didn't,' said Tony. 'Gibbs might have. He has eyes like a hawk.'

'Abby's taken the bullet back to the lab', said McGee. 'She can at least get us a make. Ziva's gone over every inch of the roadside. Everything's she's bagged and tagged has gone back to the lab as well.'

'That's good work, Probie,' said Tony, giving him a small smile. The praise made McGee blush a little but he was clearly pleased.

'Don't let the power go to your head, now,' Tony added teasingly. 'I don't wanna have to get out of here tomorrow and hear stories from Ziva about you bossing her around and making her call you Boss.'

'Don't worry,' said McGee. 'I'm not _you_, Tony.'

'Oh, that hurt,' said Tony, clutching his heart dramatically.

'Well, there's no way _I'd_ be wearing _those_ pyjamas,' added McGee as he stood up, primarily to remove himself from head-slap reach.

'Hey, I only had the clothes I came here with,' said Tony, deciding not to mention that they were now stained with Gibbs's blood. 'Ducky brought these in. I thought they were rather fetching. At least I wouldn't be caught dead in…..'

Tony stopped suddenly before shaking his head.

'At least you wouldn't be caught dead in what?' asked McGee. He had been enjoying the banter and was puzzled by the abrupt end to it.

'It doesn't matter,' mumbled Tony. 'Forget it.'

And then McGee remembered hearing Tony making desperate promises to an unconscious Gibbs in the car. One of them had been to stop teasing McGee about his taste in clothes. By the look on Tony's face, the senior agent had just remembered those frantic moments as well.

'I'd better be going,' said McGee, quietly. 'You should probably get some rest.'

'Yeah,' agreed Tony. 'Hey, McGee. Can you do me a favour? See if you can get find Dr. Pitt. I wanna see if he can arrange something for me.'

'Sure,' said McGee. 'Goodnight Tony.'

………………………………………………

Much later that evening, when the visitors had gone and the hospital corridor lights had been dimmed, Gibbs stirred slightly in his bed. The anesthesia had worn off but now he was sleeping, exhausted by the surgery and the events of the day. Only Ducky and the surgeon had been present when he had briefly woken. They had assured him that his recovery should be quick and that everything else was under control. Gibbs had wanted to see Dinozzo but had been pleased to learn that his senior field agent had allowed himself to be admitted.

Beside Gibbs' bed, in a recliner chair, sat Tony. He had managed to convince Dr. Pitt that he needed to be in the same room as Gibbs by saying that it was an old custom that marines needed a team member to be on guard while they were incapacitated or unconscious. He didn't know if Pitt had bought it or not, but Tony didn't care. This was where he knew he had to be.


	16. Chapter 16

Drowning

_Hi. After this chapter, the actual case progresses. Thank you for the lovely reviews and all the encouragement I've received via PM's. And I second Laine's wish to all fellow Aussies for a happy Australia Day tomorrow. Zan._

Chapter 16

Gibbs woke and immediately wished that he hadn't. Someone had stuffed his head full of cotton wool and his body was affected by an unpleasant, dull ache. Opening his eyes a crack, he confirmed that he was in a hospital bed. He hated hospitals – possibly as much as Dinozzo claimed to, but probably for different reasons. Gibbs detested being inactive and out of the loop whenever he was confined to a hospital bed. It annoyed him intensely more than any ailment or injury he was suffering. Dinozzo, on the other hand, always seemed fearful of hospitals, yet Gibbs knew Tony Dinozzo to be a very courageous man. Gibbs sighed when he recalled the genuine fear he had seen on Tony's face when he had last seen him. Gibbs' heart lurched when he thought about Tony being so distraught. He was actually shocked by the depth of feeling Tony had expressed, as well as by his own feelings of concern for the younger man. Gibbs realized that he really didn't have a rule that covered his relationship (or whatever it was) with Dinozzo. And if there was a rule forbidding what seemed to exist between them, the horse had already well and truly bolted. There had been few people whose welfare had concerned Gibbs more.

Gibbs wondered how long he had been asleep. He had a fuzzy memory of having Ducky and another doctor speak to him after the surgery. He even had vague notions of being offered water to sip and of having someone apply a cool cloth to his forehead. Opening his eyes a little wider, Gibbs tried to glimpse anything that looked like a button he could press to summon the nurse or his doctor. He wasn't in any particular pain. He needed information: When was he going to be discharged? What were the developments in the case? What was going on with Dinozzo? Before Gibbs could see what he was looking for, his need for it was gone. The door to his room was opened quietly by Ducky.

'Ah, excellent,' said the ME as he approached the bed. 'I see you're awake.'

'Hey Duck', croaked Gibbs. God his throat was dry! He gratefully took a sip of the offered water.

'You're very, very fortunate,' Ducky told his friend. 'The bullet lodged itself just below your clavicle, missing pretty much anything too serious. The removal was quite straightforward and expertly performed.'

'How long?' asked Gibbs, feeling anything but fortunate. How Ducky could sound so damned cheerful was beyond him. His voice was less croaky but still hoarse.

'Surgery took a couple of hours,' replied Ducky.

'No. How long before I get out of here?' said Gibbs, impatiently.

'Really, Jethro,' Ducky admonished him. 'You've taken a bullet and suffered a nasty concussion on top of that. Little wonder Dinozzo's always trying to get himself discharged before he's even been admitted with anything serious. Look at the terrible example you set!'

'How's Dinozzo doing?' asked Gibbs, moving on to his second question, even though the first had not been answered to his satisfaction.

'Well, he was surprisingly compliant about being examined until he heard YOU were out of danger,' explained Ducky, sending Gibbs a meaningful look. 'Dr. Pitt wanted to keep him overnight and get some antibiotics into his system. Tony wasn't keen, to say the least.'

'And?' demanded Gibbs.

'Oh, he stayed,' said Ducky. 'Only after a stern lecture, mind you. He does worry me, Jethro. That boy's far too flippant about his own health. He reminds me very much of you at times.'

'Did they get the shooter?' asked Gibbs, moving on to question three. He was unwilling to be drawn into a full blown comparison between himself and Tony. There were times he wished Ducky had never taken that psychology course. Ducky shook his head.

'Not yet. Although I believe Timothy did an excellent job of having the scene examined and all relevant items sent to Abigail.'

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a nurse who appeared to be of Ducky's vintage with a no-nonsense attitude.

'How are we feeling this morning, Mr. Gibbs?' she asked brusquely as she checked his chart. 'Any pain? Headache? Nausea?'

'Negative to all three,' said Gibbs, which was two-thirds true. A drum was beating at his temples and he ached all over, but there was no point telling the nurse either of these facts given that his mission was to get out of hospital ASAP.

'And I'm 21 next birthday,' she told Gibbs, causing Ducky to smile behind his raised hand.

'I'll bring you some breakfast once the doctor's given you the all clear,' she said as she opened the curtains. 'In the mean-time, are you well enough to receive some visitors?'

'Sure, why not,' said Gibbs, casting a look at Ducky who shrugged.

'Good, said the nurse, although she looked far from pleased. 'It's nowhere near visiting hours, but the four of them have been hassling the nursing staff for the last hour, so I'd rather they see you and then leave.'

With that, she left the room. Moments later, Abby, Ziva, McGee and Tony entered.

'Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!' exclaimed Abby, predictably. She immediately went to his bedside, stretched an arm across his pillow and planted a kiss on his forehead. 'Gibbs! We were so worried!'

'Ab's, I'm, fine,' Gibbs told her. 'Just turn the volume down a bit, would ya?'

'I am glad to see that you are okay,' said Ziva as she came to stand next to Abby. She found it unnerving to see Gibbs incapacitated and grey, but she was pleased to see with her own eyes that he was alive. McGee nodded to agree with Ziva's comment and chose to sit down in the chair next to Ducky's.

Gibbs gave both agents a nod before seeing out Tony who was hovering behind Ducky. He was dressed in clothes that someone had obviously brought in for him. Probably Abby. The predominance of black was the giveaway.

'Dinozzo, what are you doing out of bed?' Gibbs barked.

'Ah, it's nice to see you too, Boss,' said Tony. 'Brad checked me out this morning. I'm fine. I rang Abby to bring me some clothes. It was a relief to get out of the PJ's. No offence Ducky.'

'None taken, my dear boy,' said Ducky.

'I thought the stripes were rather fetching,' said Abby, cheekily.

Gibbs listened and watched while some lively banter went back and forth about pyjama patterns. Dinozzo, he mused, was an absolute expert at diverting attention from his own health. Gibbs decided there and then that he'd be grilling Dr. Pitt personally about Tony's physical state, and he'd be taking full advantage of his status as Tony's next of kin to get all the information he wanted.

'Perhaps we should leave Gibbs to get some rest,' Ziva said. He had, after all, received a serious injury, within the last twenty-four hours.

'I don't want rest,' said Gibbs, testily. 'I wanna know what the hell's happening with the case.'

'Exactly!' said Tony, his eyes bright. 'Which is why we're all here, Agent David.'

Ziva looked at Tony, her eyes narrowing before she opened her mouth to begin a protest.

'No, Tony. I don't think this is the time for…'

'Oh, yes it is!' said Tony, as he sat on the arm of Ducky's chair and produced a notepad from his back pocket. 'It's time for a campfire.'


	17. Chapter 17

Drowning

Chapter 17

'No!' complained Ziva. 'You cannot be serious about the…campfire! You are not the Team Leader anymore, Tony. You are barely out of your own hospital bed and Gibbs does not want to be laying there listening to us nibbling on the lard!'

'I am _so_ the Team Leader while Gibbs is out of action,' said Tony, with just a touch of petulance. 'Dr. Pitt has signed my release forms. And we'll be chewing the fat, by the way, at my campfire.'

'I LOVE the campfire!' enthused Abby, excitedly.

'Yes, we know you do,' said Ziva. 'But if we MUST have it, surely Gibbs does not want us to have it here while he is so incapacitated.'

'Enough!' barked Gibbs as loudly as he could manage. 'Gibbs is not so incapacitated that he can't say what he does or does not want! Gibbs wants to hear about the case!'

'Oooh! Referring to yourself in the third person!' said Abby. 'Very cool!'

'Kinda disturbing, actually,' said Tony. 'And very un-Gibbs-like. Maybe it's permanent. You hit your head pretty hard you know Boss.'

'Just get on with the damn campfire, Dinozzo, before something hits YOUR head pretty hard,' growled Gibbs, ready to explode.

'Okay, campfire in session,' said Tony, quickly. 'Ab's, you're first. What've you got?'

'I have examined a bullet removed from one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. It was fired from a 22 caliber rifle by someone who deserves to rot in Hell for trying to take the silver fox away from us,' announced Abby.

'Okay, and I agree with the sentiment,' said Tony as he made an entry to his notebook. 'Probester?'

'Shot was fired by someone on foot by the roadside. Ziva found a shell casing beside a large tree near the bend in the road Tony and Gibbs were traveling along. No footprints or other evidence,' said McGee, his face slightly apologetic.

'So we need to ask ourselves whether this sniper waited for you two as specific targets,' said Ducky, 'or was it just a random act of violence. Was it just a coincidence that a federal agent was shot?'

'Yeah, well we all know what the official line is about coincidences is in this team,' said Tony.

'Someone with a grudge,' said Ziva. 'Someone imprisoned by one of you who has been recently released and is out for revenge.'

'Four in the last six months,' said Gibbs from the bed. All eyes turned to him.

'How do you know there are four?' asked McGee in astonishment. 'I mean, I'm not saying there are more or less than four. If you say it's four, then I trust your memory but…'

'I checked yesterday,' Gibbs said, cutting McGee off. 'Vay suggested that the 'accident' at the stream had nothing to do with Partington. I wanted to make sure.'

'Tony!' exclaimed Abby. 'When she was reading your cards, Miranda said that someone from your past would return and that you should be careful!'

'But it was Gibbs who was shot,' said Tony, ignoring the slightly amused looks from Ziva and McGee. He wasn't exactly thrilled that they now knew the psychic had told him his future.

'Yes, but she also said that you had to be careful when you were with Gibbs!' said Abby. 'That's so amazing!'

'You didn't tell me about that,' Gibbs admonished Tony.

'Well you didn't tell me that you were checking out crims out to get us!' objected Tony.

The group fell silent for a few moments to digest the revelations.

'Anthony,' began Ducky, breaking the silence. Where were you and Gibbs going when you were shot at?'

'Driving back from the Partington house,' said Tony, shivering involuntarily as a recent memory came unbidden to his mind. Tony related the details of the letter that had been sent to Partington's parents and the parents' reaction to it.

'It smelt all wrong,' added Tony. 'I mean, normal parents wouldn't just accept that their child had voluntarily gone missing and be relieved about it.' He caught Gibbs sending him a peculiar, sympathetic look his way, and blushed slightly.

'And why are you not investigating the Partington case, regardless of the parents' apparent relief?' asked Ducky. 'If you think things are hinky, to borrow an expression from Abigail, I would have thought you would be stepping up your efforts to find the young woman.'

'Because we've been too busy with what's happened to the team!' exclaimed McGee, his eyes wide. 'Gibbs has been looking into old cases based on what Vay intimated, and we've spent most the rest of the time investigating the new crime scene.'

'Time to check out Madame Vay,' said Tony and Gibbs simultaneously. The two men exchanged a look that spoke of mutual respect before Tony announced the campfire was over.

'Probie, Ziva, Abs, get back to the bullpen and start checking out Vay. See if we've got any hits on the BOLO that we put out on the picture of the woman from Vay's vision,' said Tony.

'What about you, Tony?' asked Abby. 'You didn't exactly drive here yourself yesterday, Mister. Your car's at your place still.'

'Ducky will drive Dinozzo back to the office later,' Gibbs told her. 'Now go!'

Abby gave Gibbs one more peck on the cheek before following the other two out, leaving Gibbs with Ducky and Tony. Tony sat down in the chair that had been vacated by McGee. Gibbs had shut his eyes the moment the trio had left. Apparently the visit had over-taxed him. Tony immediately felt concern rise within him and dropped his guard.

'He is gonna be fine, isn't he?' he asked Ducky, quietly.

'Relax, Dinozzo. I'm just taking a breather,' mumbled Gibbs, without opening his eyes.

'Clearly his hearing is fine,' said Ducky as he patted Tony's arm reassuringly. 'And the rest of him will be too. I believe the surgeon is happy to let him go in a day or two, all going as he expects.'

'A day or two!' exclaimed Tony, despite his delight that Gibbs would soon be back with the team. 'He's been shot! Talk about double standards! If I'd been shot, the Boss would be making me stay here at least a week.'

'I suppose it's a bit like a nicotine-dependent father telling you not to smoke when you're dead keen on lighting up,' chuckled Ducky.

'My father wouldn't give a damn what I did,' said Tony, missing Ducky's point altogether. The ME wondered whether Tony had the remotest idea that the way Gibbs treated the younger agent was paternal. Probably not if Tony's own father had not acted the way a father should.

'Quit whining about double standards,' said Gibbs, opening his eyes and licking his dry lips. 'I'm still not convinced that you should even be out of bed.'

'Jethro,' said Ducky as Tony sent an exasperated look his way. 'Anthony's doctor is happy to let him go as long as he takes his antibiotics, keeps warm and gets some decent sleep. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I'm off to track down your doctor. Anthony, perhaps you can give Gibbs some water. He's been talking far too much for someone who is post-surgery.'

Tony stood, picked up the glass and held the straw to Gibbs' mouth. It had been a tricky thing during the previous night to work out the best way to angle the straw, but now he felt like an expert. Gibbs took a few sips and nodded his thanks.

'Help me sit up a bit, will you,' Gibbs asked Tony as the younger man was about to return to the chair.

'Maybe you should wait for your doctor,' ventured Tony.

'Maybe I should turn the suggestion into an order,' was Gibbs' terse reply.

Rolling his eyes, Tony removed a couple of pillows that were at the foot of the bed and put them within easy reach. After hesitating for a moment, he snaked an arm gently beneath Gibbs' shoulders.

'Don't try to move,' he told Gibbs quietly, worried that the older man would do himself damage. 'Just let me lift you up.'

Gibbs grunted in reply and allowed Tony to gently raise his head and shoulders slightly and put the pillows in their place. Gibbs was in better shape than he had been during the night, but his current fragility unnerved Tony. It reminded him of Gibbs' mortality. If neither agent died before their time, Gibbs would most likely die before Tony. It was a thought that shook him. There had been very few people in Tony's life whose possible demise had disturbed him quite as much as Gibbs'.

Gibbs glanced sideways and took in Tony's face close up. He could easily see the fatigue, but it was the flash of boyish fear that caught his attention. Less than 24 hours ago he had heard the panic in Tony's voice when he thought Gibbs was dead or dying. Now Gibbs was definitely alive and the younger man still seemed desperately anxious. And then the flash had gone and Tony's face morphed back from the frightened boy to the self-assured man.

'Geez, Boss,' Tony complained dramatically, 'you can't even sit up by yourself, and Ducky's okay about you getting out ASAP. If it was me, you'd have me admitted indefinitely.'

'Damn straight,' said Gibbs, gruffly, as Tony eased his arm out from underneath his shoulders. 'Because I can't trust you to look after yourself. But I know I can trust you to look after the investigation until I get out of here. Get back there. Get whatever you can on Vay, but check out the four I came up with yesterday.'

Nodding his head, and buoyed by Gibbs' confidence in him, Tony gave a cheeky salute and left to wait for Ducky.


	18. Chapter 18

Drowning

Chapter 18

After Ducky had left the elevator at Autopsy, Tony waited for the doors to close before pressing the emergency 'stop' button. Shutting his eyes, he took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. It had been difficult keeping up the pretense of feeling 100% in front of the team and then Ducky as he was driven from the hospital to NCIS. He was very tired and his muscles ached, but that was probably due to spending half the night propped up in the chair next to Gibbs' bed rather than anything else. His chest felt tight, but he had antibiotics to take to deal with any issue related to his lungs. The last thing he needed was Ducky suspecting he felt below par and dobbing him into Dr. Pitt or, worse, Gibbs. There were two cases that needed solving: a naval officer was still missing, and someone had used Gibbs as target practice. He didn't have time to take it easy. Opening his eyes, Tony saw his reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator. Well, he couldn't do anything about the darkness under his eyes, but he could fix his hair. Using his fingers he combed his hair back from his forehead before squaring his shoulders. Better, he decided. He reactivated the elevator and prepared to face the troops.

Ziva and McGee looked up from their desks as Tony strode in.

'Relax. I'm here,' Tony told them, taking his seat and switching on his P.C.

'We were not anxiously for you,' Ziva told him, her face confused by his instruction. 'We knew that you had been discharged and that Ducky was bringing you.'

'He's insinuating that we're hopeless without him to lead us,' said McGee, secretly pleased that Tony was back to his usual self.

'Hhmmph!' was Ziva's response.

'Very articulate, Agent David,' said Tony. 'Come on, come on. Report! Prove that the pair of you are _not _helpless without me.'

Rising to the bait as Tony knew they would, McGee and Ziva both started to report their findings.

'Miranda Vay,' said McGee, reading from his notes, 'has no criminal record. She has never been married and has no children. She has a Master's Degree in Psychology. Her business, 'Fortune's Fool', is financially successful. She has assisted with a number of official criminal investigations.'

'I took the liberty of looking into the details of the four recently released criminals that Gibbs discovered yesterday,' said Ziva. 'He had written their names on a notepad on his desk and left in plain view,' she added, daring either of the men to accuse her of snooping. They didn't.

'Here they are,' she said, as she made their images and relevant criminal records appear on the large screen.

'Mmm,' mused Tony, his green eyes gleaming. 'Matthew Brogan. I remember him. He was arrested and found guilty of kidnapping and blackmail about ten years ago. Took a kid. He was caught just as he got his hands on the money.'

'What happened?' asked Ziva, curiously.

'Parents took a chance and told the cops,' said Tony. 'When Brogan opened his door to receive the money from the girl's parents, it was actually two undercover cops. The girl was found, unharmed, in the attic.' He paused when he heard the sound of McGee tapping furiously at his keyboard.

'Probie, what's going on?' he asked. 'You've got that look.'

'The name – Brogan,' said McGee. 'It rang a bell, and here it is! Miranda Vay has no children, but her sister Carmel does. Carmel Vay married Donald Brogan. Matthew Brogan is her nephew!'

The three agents exchanged wondrous looks before turning their attention back to the big screen. McGee clicked on Matthew Brogan's image to isolate and enlarge it.

'Officer Partington disappears,' said Ziva. 'Miranda Vay comes forward to help with the case. She tells us that Officer Partington is in no danger, but Tony and Gibbs are. Then, one source of potential danger is discovered to be a relative of Miranda Vay's. It is either a coincidence or we are investigating one case.'

'Get everything you know about Brogan,' Tony told McGee. 'Take Ziva to check out his last known address. I think it's time for a reunion.'

'On it,' said McGee, glad that the case was progressing.

'Reunion?' queried Ziva, her eyebrows raised.

'I was the arresting officer,' said Tony modestly. He pressed a few buttons and the screen changed to show three faces: Officer Partington, Matthew Brogan and the picture Abby had complied from Vay's description of her vision.

'Where's Vay?' asked Tony suddenly. 'Has she been in and gone already?'

'She is no longer required, Agent Dinozzo,' came Director Shephard's voice as she descended the stairs. 'The Partington case is closed.'

'Got Brogan's address,' said McGee, standing up and grabbing his weapon, prompting Ziva to do the same.

'Keep me informed,' Tony called after the pair as they left before turning his attention to Jenny Shephard.

'And are you now going to keep ME informed?' asked Jenny, crossing her arms across her chest. 'I assume you suspect this Brogan of having something to do with the attack on you and Gibbs.'

'He's a person of interest,' said Tony. 'He was recently released after doing a stretch for kidnapping and he just so happens to be Miranda Vay's nephew.'

Jenny raised her eyebrows in surprise as she tried to guess Tony's line of thought.

'You can't be thinking there's a connection between Vay and the attack on you!' she exclaimed. '_**She**_ came to _**us**_, remember?'

'Yes she did,' agreed Tony, as he sat on the edge of his desk. 'She offered to help with the Partington Case. A case that I believe you've closed prematurely.'

'The parents received a letter from her,' objected Jenny. 'They're satisfied with the outcome. There is no point investigating any further.'

'Gibbs' gut's telling him there's more to the case, and I agree,' said Tony, with more than an edge of defiance in his tone.

'So we have a cut and dried, successful end to a sad case of a woman who disliked her life so much that she escaped from it, up against your combined guts,' said Jenny.

'You didn't go to the Partington house,' argued Tony. 'Things didn't smell right. And as for Brogan being related to Vay, I don't know what it means, but we need to check it out further. I'm paying her a visit today.'

Jenny was both taken aback and slightly proud of the way Dinozzo was sticking to his guns. She felt like she was sparring with a more polite version of Gibbs.

'You've got twenty four hours more on the Partington case,' she finally conceded. 'After that, it's well and truly closed.'

'MY gut tells me that we won't even need that much time,' said Tony, cheekily, as he grabbed his weapon and his jacket.

Jenny rolled her eyes, smiled and shook her head as she headed back to her office.

…………………………………………………………

'Clear!' yelled Ziva as she determined that the last room of the shabby house Brogan had apparently lived in was empty. McGee joined her and together they visually examined the bedroom.

'Not exactly five stars,' commented McGee, sarcastically. 'Frankly, prisons are cleaner.'

'He has not been here for some time,' said Ziva. The neighbour saw him returning three days ago, but has not seen him since that time.'

They walked into the kitchen to discover half-empty take-away containers in the sink and no food in the fridge. The stench from the uneaten food left in the containers caused Ziva to wrinkle her nose in disgust. McGee fought the urge to throw up. A newspaper on the table was dated three days prior, confirming that Brogan had at least been in the house that recently. McGee took out his cell and pressed speed dial.

'Dinozzo. What have you got, Probie?'

'He's not here,' McGee reported. 'No belongings in the cupboards. He's pretty much cleared out. The place is disgusting. What do you want us to do now?'

'Talk to the neighbours,' said Tony. 'Talk to shopkeepers in the area. I'm on my way to Fortune's Fool to talk to Vay. Call me if you find out anything that will get Brogan.'

'Okay,' said McGee.

'Oh, and Probie?' added Tony. 'Try to keep your lunch down. I know how delicate your stomach is, but I don't want you contaminating any potential evidence.'

Ziva watched McGee as the agent shook his head while he ended the call.

'Is Tony being his usual condescending and inappropriate self?' she asked.

'Yep, but you've gotta hand it to him,' said McGee as they made their way outside and into the fresher air. 'In the last 24 hours he's watched Gibbs nearly die, been admitted to hospital himself and taken over two major investigations. He's a pain in the behind, but he's good.'


	19. Chapter 19

Drowning

_Thank you for everyone's kind reviews. _

_I'd like to preface this chapter by saying that I'm personally devastated by the bushfires that have ripped through Victoria yesterday and today. The worst affected area, Kinglake, is just north of us. Close friends and acquaintances have lost their houses but some have also been isolated due to road closures and the fires that are still burning. I feel really hopeless because there's nothing I can do to help at the moment. The current death toll is 84 and rising. Many, many hundreds have lost their homes. And the fires are still burning. Please keep those affected in your thoughts. Zan_

Chapter 19

Tony pulled up outside 'Fortune's Fool' and felt a tinge of disappointment that the journey had come to an end. It had been an absolute joy to drive his own car, on his own, and cough whenever he damn well felt like it. Abby had driven him to his place so that he could collect his own car and had nagged him the entire way about warm clothing and staying out of trouble. She had even waited outside his apartment until he had brought out the heavy jacket he was now reaching for, and a scarf and gloves. The weather is turning bitter, Tony, she had reminded him. What if you end up having to follow someone outside? If you come back frozen stiff, I'll kill you. And if I don't, Gibbs will! Tony left the gloves and scarf in the car. He doubted he'd need them inside Vay's shop.

Jacket slung over his shoulder, Tony moved quickly to the shop entrance and let himself in. A bell tinkled to announce the entrance of a probable customer.

'Agent Dinozzo,' came the calm voice of Madame Vay from toward the back of the establishment. It was too impossible to detect any particular emotion in her even tone. Tony took a moment to adjust his eyes to the dim lighting before seeing that she was sitting at a small table.

'Madame Vay,' he said by way of greeting as he approached the table.

There was silence between them for a few moments. Tony was interested in what her first comment or question would be. Just as he was about to break the silence, Vay spoke.

'Have you come for a private reading?' she asked, indicating the wrapped pack of cards she had placed in the centre of the table. He knew that she knew he hadn't come for a tarot reading, but he decided to play along for a little while.

'No, I thought I'd try something else,' he said jovially. 'Maybe you could read my palm. Or tea leaves! I **am** kinda thirsty. We could kill two birds with one stone. Or I could just sit here and you could tell me what I'm thinking. What do _**you**_ think?'

Vay regarded him impassively and waited for him to continue.

'I'm frankly a bit disappointed,' continued Tony as he looked closely at a beautiful mobile that was suspended from the ceiling. 'You should be able to tell me the real reason I'm here. You being the psychic and all.'

'I have no idea why you're here,' she told him, her voice still even. 'I'm not omniscient.'

Tony finished his inspection of the mobile, pulled out the chair opposite Vay, and sat down.

'I know who the woman is that you had a vision of,' he told her, his green eyes keenly observing her for any reaction. 'The woman you described to Abby,' he added, when she raised a questioning eyebrow.

'Did you receive a response from someone?' she asked him.

'No,' said Tony. 'I worked out who she is. She's Officer Partington.'

'I really don't know what you're getting at,' said Vay, her voice finally showing a little impatience.

'It's Partington,' repeated Tony. 'Different hair color. Different hair style. Glasses. But it's Partington.'

'Well,' said Vay, 'that simply fits in with what your Director said Partington put in her letter about wanting to opt out of her life.'

'Mmm, conveniently,' said Tony.

'How do you know that it isn't someone who helped her to disappear?' asked Vay.

'Maybe she's a friend who happens to have a similar facial structure to her.'

'Experience, a healthy dose of cynicism, and my gut,' said Tony, fixing her eyes with his own.

'Why are you still investigating Partington's disappearance?' asked Vay. 'Director Shephard said the parents had decided the case was solved.'

'We're not convinced she's okay,' said Tony.

'Alright,' said Vay, leaning forward and resting her folded hands on the table. 'The parents and the letter they received aside, the only reason you're convinced she is not safe is because of feelings in your gut. That's hardly a conventional investigative method.'

'Neither's consulting a psychic,' countered Tony. 'I'd back Gibbs' gut against a psychic's word any time.'

Vay regarded Tony thoughtfully for a few moments.

'Do you not believe in my abilities at all?' she asked him.

'I think you're a skilled profiler,' said Tony. 'I had a partner once who was great at profiling. She could work out a lot about a suspect or victim just by watching them.'

'And now she's dead. Killed,' said Vay knowingly.

'Did your psychic ability tell you that?' asked Tony as he felt the all too familiar twist in his chest at the memory of Kate's demise.'

'No, you're eyes did,' countered Vay. 'They reveal a lot about your past.'

Sensing that Vay was wanting to take their conversation in a direction he was definitely not comfortable with, Tony played his main card, watching the woman's face carefully for any reaction.

'When was the last time you saw your nephew, Matthew Brogan?' Tony asked. He was rewarded when Vay's pupils appeared to dilate.

'I do not keep in touch with my sister's child,' she told Tony, her voice a little harder.

'Well, he's person of interest in the Partington case at the moment,' said Tony. 'Pretty freaky when he just so happens to be related to you.'

'I assure you, Agent Dinozzo,' said Vay, 'that I have nothing to do with Matthew. I'm also very sure that Officer Partington is safe and sound and happy to be out of her parents' lives.'

Tony met her gaze for a few moments before standing up.

'Well, we'll stop investigating when Gibbs' and my respective guts are satisfied,' said Tony. 'Let us know if Brogan decides to pay his aunt a social visit.'

He walked to the door, but turned back when Vay called out to him.

'He was just as scared for you in that river as you were for him in that car,' she said. 'He just didn't reveal his feelings as much as you did. It doesn't mean his feelings were not as intense.'

Tony felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck but didn't say anything. He had no answer to that.

……………………………………………..

Gibbs pushed the tray of food away from him and huffed impatiently. The nurse said she'd bring food, and instead she'd brought pureed fruit and jello. Worse, she'd brought no coffee. Why the hell they couldn't just discharge him now that the anaesthetic had worn off was beyond him. Yes he'd been shot, but his legs worked and his brain was functioning. He's barely been in the hospital room 24 hours and the nurses were driving him crazy. Why did they have to be so damn cheery? And why hadn't Dinozzo rung in with details about the case?

As if on cue, his reverie was interrupted by the arrival of Tony himself.

'Hey Boss,' was Tony's hushed greeting as he poked his head into the room. 'You up for a visit?'

'Get your ass in here, Dinozzo!' Gibbs told him. 'And you'd better have coffee!'

Smiling, Tony quickly entered the room and shut the door quietly behind him. He removed the 'food' from Gibbs's tray and replaced it with a paper bag filled with something delicious, and a coffee from Gibbs' favorite cafe.

'Your review's looking good,' Gibbs told his agent, appreciatively. He picked up the bag and peered inside.

'What's this?' he asked.

'Calzone,' Tony told him. 'It's kinda like a pizza but…'

'Don't care,' said Gibbs. 'Smells good. Sit.'

Tony pulled up a chair and watched happily while Gibbs munched on the food and sipped the coffee as though it was ambrosia. His boss looked much better than he had that morning. The younger agent felt the tension he had stored in his shoulders melt away. The food finished, Gibbs sighed with physical contentment and pushed the tray away.

'Are you gonna tell me how the case is going or are you gonna just sit there?' he asked Tony. He had unsuccessfully attempted a gruff tone. Tony grinned and began to give Gibbs a run down on the events of the case.


	20. Chapter 20

Drowning

_Hi, shorter chapter this time. I'm still very preoccupied with other events. The smoky air is a constant reminder. Thank you for your messages of concern. I'm fine but many are not. Over a thousand houses gone. Nearly 200 souls gone. Zan_

Chapter 20

Gibbs munched away as Tony gave him a detailed update on the case. While he listened, Gibbs scanned his agent for any lingering signs of illness. Miraculously, Tony seemed to be fine – maybe a little TOO fine. Gibbs was well aware of Tony's propensity for not only downplaying any serious malaise but putting on a dazzling display of apparent wellness to fool others. He decided, however, not to make any comment. For now.

'So how did Vay react when you mentioned Brogan's name?' asked Gibbs as Tony paused.

'She seemed a little pissed off,' Tony told him. 'Definitely lost some of her composure.'

'Well, no-one likes to be reminded of unsavoury relatives with criminal records,' said Gibbs.

'No, you can't choose your relatives, that's for sure,' agreed Tony, wistfully, in a way that made Gibbs wonder. 'But it's all too much of a co-incidence. She's definitely got some hinky, witchy ways, but I don't totally trust her.'

'Well, we need to get a watch on Vay's business and her house,' said Gibbs.

'Done,' said Tony. 'She lives at the back of her shop. If there's any visit from Brogan, or anything else suspicious, I'll get a call.'

'What about Brogan?' asked Gibbs.

'Ziva thinks he's left the dump where he was living for good,' said Tony, 'but there's a watch on his place as well. I've also put a watch on the Partington house.'

Gibbs nodded his head in approval before narrowing his eyes at Tony.

'I thought you said that _McGee_ went to Brogan's place while you went to see Vay,' he said.

'Ziva went with him,' said Tony. 'I know the Probie isn't really a probie in the strictest sense anymore, but I really wanted Ziva to check it out, especially since there was a chance that Brogan was going to be there. McGee needed someone to watch his back.'

'So, who went with _you_?' demanded Gibbs.

'No-one,' said Tony, shrugging his shoulders and wondering why Gibbs had gone from looking like he was going to pat him on the head to slitting his throat in less than thirty seconds.

'Dinozzo, you're just out of the hospital! You shouldn't be out in the field on your own under any circumstances, but especially when you're not fit!'

'Relax, Boss,' said Tony. 'I'm fit enough to go and chat to a spooky woman who reads tarot cards. Hell, I've spent a whole evening with her at Abby's. She's hardly Charles Manson. She's a psychic.'

'How do you_** know**_ that?' persisted Gibbs, feeling his blood pressure rise. 'She says she's psychic, but she could well be psycho!'

'Boss, a movie reference! I'm impressed,' said Tony, trying to lighten the mood.

'Don't change the subject!' snapped Gibbs. 'You shouldn't be out without anyone watching your six!'

'Oh, come on,' said Tony, not liking the way Gibbs was becoming agitated. 'The Director gave Vay clearance to come to NCIS. She isn't even a suspect.'

'I don't care if she's had a private audience with the President!' exploded Gibbs. 'You're not 100% fit, we were both shot at yesterday, and you put yourself at risk by going to see that woman on your own. Why send Ziva to protect McGee and take no-one to watch out for you?'

Gibbs' eyes bored into Tony's until the younger man grew uncomfortable and looked away. Gibbs knew the answer was a combination of recklessness and the idea that he was somehow dispensable. If anything terrible happened to McGee, Tony knew that every member of the extended McGee family would be devastated. Ziva's death would send ripples through the already tenuous relationship between Israel and the States. Who would really give a damn if anything happened to Tony? The unpalatable facts were that the times Tony's life had been on the line, no relative had ever bothered to turn up at his bedside. Worse still, Tony had been unsurprised by this. He had obviously lived this way for a long time. It made Gibbs angry and concerned.

'I just wanted to get this case solved,' Tony finally said quietly, looking back at his boss. 'There was no-one to take with me. I didn't expect trouble and I didn't get any.'

'Are you taking your antibiotics?' asked Gibbs. Tony was so thrown by the sudden change in topic and the gruff concern in Gibbs' voice that he could only manage a nod. Whenever Tony suspected that Gibbs might be showing concern for him, he felt a peculiar tightness in his chest and a lump in his throat.

'You'd better be,' continued Gibbs. 'Cause dealing with the team, Abby especially, when you're at death's door, is no picnic.'

'What about you?' asked Tony, finding his voice. 'You look better.'

'Director came to visit today,' said Gibbs, happy for the time being to change the topic. 'As soon as she saw I was okay, she started complaining that you were becoming almost as pig-headed as me.'

'Sorry about that, Boss,' said Tony, quickly. 'I gave her a bit of a serve about sending Vay home and closing the Partington case.'

'Don't apologise,' said Gibbs sternly. 'I would have done the same thing.'

'Okay, I'll take it as a compliment,' said Tony, his face breaking into a broad grin.

At that moment, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Gibbs' doctor and the nurse. Tony excused himself and went to wait outside the room, still smiling.

………………………………….

Just as it had several times a day during her captivity, the tape was removed from Officer Partington's mouth. A plate of food was placed on her lap. As usual, she was able to access the food with her hands as they were not manacled. There was no need to secure her hands as she was restrained by a cuff and chain that was attached to her ankle. She ate hungrily. Apart from having her liberty taken from her, she had not been mistreated and she could see no point in refusing the food. After all, when the opportunity came to escape, she wanted to be fit and ready rather than weak and emaciated from refusing to eat food provided by her captor.

Watching from the far side of the comfortable room, in the shadows, Matthew Brogan watched the woman eat. Soon the final phase of his plan would be executed. And this time it would be smooth.


	21. Chapter 21

Drowning

Chapter 21

Ziva tapped her pen impatiently on her desk. She had arrived at work at 8.00am to find an email from McGee telling her he was in Abby's lab and that he would be back soon. There had been no sign of Tony, and there still was no sign, even though the time was nearly 9.30am. There was no message from Tony, on either her phone or computer. She had busied herself by again examining the files on Brogan and Partington. She felt as though she knew their details by heart. She also felt overwhelmingly anxious. Examining her own feelings, Ziva had to admit she was worried about Tony. Perhaps he had taken a 'turn for the worse', as Ducky would say. It was true that Ziva found her partner to be highly annoying and immature and petty and nosy and rude – but she was concerned about him and was tempted to call his cell. As she reached for her phone, Ziva heard the lift doors open. She looked up eagerly, only to be disappointed.

'Oh, it is only you,' she said.

'And good morning to you too, Officer David,' said McGee as he sat at his desk and began tapping at his keyboard.

'I apologise. I thought you were Tony,' explained Ziva.

McGee looked at her, puzzled.

'I know that you do not LOOK like him!' snapped Ziva, impatiently. 'I thought he had finally arrived. He is very late.'

'No, not really,' said McGee, looking back at his screen. 'He said he'd be here between 9.30 and 10.00.'

'When did he tell you that?' demanded Ziva, standing up and walking over to McGee's desk.

'He called to tell me last night,' said McGee.

'And you did not think to tell ME this?' said Ziva, her voice rising with annoyance and frustration. 'I have been sitting here imagining that Tony has been involved in a terrible car accident, or been shot and killed by some crazy person, or is desperately ill in his bed!' she exclaimed.

McGee looked up at her and frowned.

'You are one morbid chick, David,' came a voice that actually expressed McGee's thoughts. 'Although I am kind of turned on that you've been imagining me in bed,' Tony added.

The pair turned to see Tony arriving with Gibbs. Their boss looked, miraculously, pretty much like he usually did except that he was moving slowly and was a couple of shades paler. McGee watched, open-mouthed, as Tony pulled Gibbs' chair away from his desk and tried to help as Gibbs lowered himself gingerly onto the chair.

'Close your mouth, Probie,' said Tony as he stood beside Gibbs. 'It's not a good look.'

'You didn't say you were bringing Gibbs,' said McGee, accusingly.

'I said I'd be late in because I was bringing someone with me,' said Tony defensively.

'Yes, you did. But I assumed you were picking up Vay or someone else related to the case,' said McGee, clearly put out and sounding petulant.

'Now,' said Tony, sternly, 'making assumptions is just about as bad as believing in co-incidences, isn't it Boss. Don't you have a rule that covers assumptions?'

'No,' said Gibbs, glaring at McGee, 'but I'm about to make a rule about pointless conversation and talking about me as if I'm not in the room.'

'We are just surprised – and pleased – that you are out of the hospital so quickly,' said Ziva, diplomatically.

'Doc says I'm fine to observe and supervise,' said Gibbs. 'No active duty yet. I can live with that. Dinozzo, if you don't stop hovering I'll have Ziva head-slap you!'

Tony quickly stepped away from Gibbs and sat at his own desk.

'Better,' said Gibbs, trying to be stern. Privately, he had been impressed and touched by Tony's attentiveness that morning. He'd brought in Gibbs' clothes, arranged the necessary paperwork at the hospital and helped him in and out of the car. He would have trusted few other people besides Tony to do that for him.

'Report,' was Gibbs' next instruction.

'Ah, surveillance still in place at Brogan's, Partington's and Vay's residences,' said McGee. 'Nothing unusual reported so far.'

'No,' said Ziva. 'In fact, there has been NO movement. The Partingtons have not left their house at all and have had no visitors. Brogan has not returned to his miserable residence. Madame Vay has had some customers, but she has not left.'

Tony pondered this before he was interrupted by the ringing of his desk phone.

'Dinozzo…….When?..............Where is she now?............Keep your post.'

He replaced the receiver and looked over at the expectant faces of Ziva, McGee and Gibbs.

'Partington's mother left the house fifteen minutes ago,' he explained. 'She drove directly to the closest Alliance Bank, went in, came out, and drove directly home again. Collins said she looked tense.'

'McGee – ' began Gibbs.

'On it Boss,' said McGee. 'Contacting the bank to get details of the transaction.'

Gibbs grunted in satisfaction and leaned back in his chair. Apart from a dull ache in his chest, he felt okay, especially now that he was back in the office and back on the case. He caught Tony casting a concerned look in his direction. Gibbs flashed his senior field agent a brief smile to signal he was fine. He needed Tony to focus on the case instead of him.

'Boss,' said McGee. 'Mrs. Partington just withdrew $200,000 in cash. We could be looking at a ransom situation.'

'Ya think, McGee?' said Gibbs, sarcastically.

'They have been waiting until the investigation is called off,' mused Ziva, thinking out aloud. Gibbs looked across at Tony who seemed to be deep in thought.

'It's not enough,' said Tony, suddenly.

'Tony, it's 200 grand!' exclaimed McGee. 'That's hardly a small amount of money.'

'It's not chicken feed, but it's not enough,' persisted Tony. 'The Partingtons are from old money. I grew up in a house like theirs. I'd bet you couldn't buy their antique cutlery set with your annual income, Probie. If someone's demanding a ransom, they'll be asking for more than 200,000.'

Ziva regarded Tony with interest. She had heard that Tony came from a very rich family, and his taste in clothes was certainly expensive. Yet he worked in law enforcement and spoke little of his family. It was intriguing.

'Check recent transactions,' Gibbs instructed McGee who quickly resumed contact with the bank. After an exchange, McGee excitedly turned back to his colleagues.

'$200,000 has been withdrawn on five separate occasions recently,' he announced. 'A million in cash. That's a big ransom demand.'

'_My_ parents would have had the kidnapper eliminated before paying such a ransom or ANY ransom,' said Ziva. 'Giving in to such demands just encourages more kidnappings amongst wealthy people.'

'I guess that's one of the risks of being filthy rich,' said McGee. 'Any kidnappers try to get ransom money out of YOUR parents, Tony?'

The younger agent had asked the question out of the blue. If he had seen it coming, Gibbs would have cut him off. He didn't know many details, but he did know that Tony's childhood was a touchy subject.

'Would have been no point,' Tony said, wryly. 'Kidnappers do their homework. They would have worked out they wouldn't have got one Dinozzo cent. If Brogan has Partington, he's confident her parents actually _**want**_ her back _and_ they have the money to pay.'

Gibbs sent McGee a glare to silence further personal questions, but Tony was already reaching for his jacket and weapon.

'Where do you think _**you're**_ going?' Gibbs asked him.

'To the Partington house to relieve Collins and Baker,' said Tony. 'They've been there all night. A million bucks is a nice round number. Probably won't be long before Partington's parents are sent instructions.'

'McGee and Ziva will go,' Gibbs told Tony. The weather conditions had deteriorated. He wasn't comfortable having an agent on antibiotics for a possible chest infection spending the better part of a freezing day waiting around in a car. McGee and Ziva stood up.

'Now, hang on!' objected Tony, causing McGee to sit down again. 'I'm still the senior agent on this case. I've had direct experience with Brogan. It should be **me** with Ziva or McGee on watch.'

'You shouldn't go and you're **not** going,' said Gibbs, his tone even. McGee stood up again.

'You shouldn't even be out of hospital,' countered Tony. 'Technically, you haven't got the authority to make decisions.'

McGee sat down again and looked nervously over at Ziva. He didn't really want to witness a pissing match between Tony and Gibbs. Ziva, however, was fascinated.

Gibbs toyed with the idea of quoting a whole lot of rules and giving Dinozzo a blast for impertinence, but he was pretty fatigued and he wasn't convinced that approach would work anyway. Tony had done a good job. He didn't really deserve being verbally cut down in front of the team.

'Technically,' said Gibbs, quietly, 'I've been released into your care, Dinozzo. If you go off on surveillance duty, who knows how long you'll be gone. Didn't you offer me your spare room?'

Tony mentally head slapped himself and felt the indignation of having Gibbs over-rule him leave his body. Gibbs was right.

'Probie, Ziva. Head down to the Partington house,' instructed Tony. 'Any movement from them, any visitors, any sign of Brogan, call me on my cell.'

McGee hesitated for a moment before nodding and hurrying away with Ziva.

………………………………………..

Madam Vay sat at her table. She had put up the 'Closed' sign in her window to allow herself some private time. She studied the cards that lay before her. She was pleased to see the Three of Swords that signified that a difficult situation was finally coming to an end. It had been a very difficult situation. She wondered how much pain would come with the ending, but it not matter. She had yearned for the end, regardless of the consequences. What concerned her about the reading, however, was the suggestion of something unexpected and unanticipated occurring. There was also a suggestion of betrayal. Frowning, she gathered the cards together, put them away and went about her business.

………………………………………

_Thank you to everyone for their patience and their reviews. I do try to reply to the reviews, but sometimes I don't get around to replying to all of them. Suffice to say that I'm really glad that people are liking the story. And thank you for all the PM's about recent events here. I believe all Victorians have been changed by this terrible thing._

_Zan XX_


	22. Chapter 22

Drowning

Chapter 22

Gibbs settled down in one of the comfortable chairs in Tony's living room and allowed himself to relax. It seemed an eternity since he had left the hospital that morning. Despite the fact that he had only been overlooking the investigation from his desk, he was physically tired. It had been frustrating to hear McGee and Ziva check in with the uninspiring news that there had been no further movement from or to the Partington house, but Gibbs had been impressed by Tony's encouraging and upbeat manner. Spending the day largely as an observer had confirmed Gibbs' view that his number one field agent 's leadership skills had developed a great deal. It was also obvious to Gibbs that Tony managed to still be affable even though he was in charge. Gibbs' leadership style was pretty much based on the premise that his underlings worked their backsides off out of fear that they might incur the wrath of the boss. Tony's style was more collaborative and friendly. Gibbs hoped that when Tony eventually led his own team, that team would appreciate and respect Tony's approach.

Gibbs shut his eyes and listened to the sounds coming from the kitchen. Who would have thought Dinozzo was so domesticated? It was true that they'd had pizza for dinner, but Tony had put together fruit salad and ice-cream for dessert and was now doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. But then, mused Gibbs, this was a man who had looked after himself practically his whole life. Tony liked to project the image of the frat boy, but he was always immaculately dressed, well-groomed and fit. Gibbs opened his eyes and let his eyes sweep the living room. It was organized and warm. The enormous collection of DVDs and videos was no surprise, but the book collection was. Gibbs had never figured Dinozzo as an avid reader. There were no photographs but for one notable exception. Gibbs smiled when he recognized the framed photograph Abby had given Tony of herself in her famous Marilyn Monroe Halloween costume. Dinozzo had tormented McGee with it for several weeks until Gibbs had ordered him to 'put it the hell away'. But there were no photographs of Dinozzo's family anywhere in the room, and that had Gibbs' insides twisting slightly with concern for not the first time.

Gibbs was suddenly aware that Tony was standing in the doorway, tea-towel draped over one shoulder. Feeling like he'd been caught out, Gibbs gestured towards the photograph.

'McGee know you've got that hanging on your wall?' he asked.

'I might have mentioned it,' admitted Tony with a smile. 'But he's pretty cool about it now. He and Abs are just friends.'

'What do you mean by that?' Gibbs demanded, frowning deeply.

'They're..they're friends,' stammered Tony, reminding himself of the Probie. 'They've always been friends and they're still just friends. Just friends, Boss.'

Gibbs frowned for a little while longer before he nodded and appeared satisfied with Dinozzo's response. It really amused him when the team thought he'd missed something. Of course he'd known about the short fling between Abby and McGee. He just enjoyed seeing Tony trying to backpedal.

'I don't know if Abby's still friends with you after today, though,' said Tony, changing the subject slightly. 'She freaked out majorly when she found out you got early release.'

'She'll get over it,' said Gibbs.

'And Ducky was pretty pissed off as well,' added Tony, mischievously. 'Don't you hate it when people keep telling you that you should be in hospital when you feel fine?'

Gibbs tried to glare at Tony but couldn't quite achieve his goal.

'Alright, you've made your point,' he told Tony. 'Have you made the coffee?'

'About to bring it in now,' said Tony as he turned back to get it from the kitchen. 'You were pretty quiet. I was just checking that you hadn't gone to sleep.'

Tony gave his boss a black, deadly looking coffee (just how he knew Gibbs liked it) and then sat in the other chair with a tall glass of juice.

'McGee sent a text,' Tony told Gibbs. 'Still no movement at the Partington house, Vay's or Brogan's. He and Ziva have knocked off for the night. A back-up team's in place.'

Gibbs sipped his coffee. It was better than any coffee his last three wives had been able to make for him.

'You're convinced it's a ransom situation,' Gibbs stated rather than asked.

'Oh, yeah,' replied Tony. 'There's no way the Partingtons would practically beg us to get off the case unless they thought that it would be their ticket to getting their daughter back. The minute we walked into their house I knew, Boss. Dianne's academic qualifications were framed and on the walls. There were photographs of her on the sideboard. Her mother hadn't been sleeping. Her Dad put up a good front, but he was barely keeping it together. Dianne's their life.'

Gibbs sipped at his coffee again and marvelled at Tony's powers of observation. But he was also struck by the sad irony of Tony detecting things in the Partington house that had apparently been non-existent in his own.

'You think it's Brogan?' asked Gibbs.

'Probably,' said Tony. 'Fits his M.O. And he's out of jail. Too much of a co-incidence otherwise.'

Tony drained his glass and stood up.

'Just gonna put linen and blankets on the spare bed,' he told Gibbs. 'Want me to turn on the plasma?'

'I'm fine sleeping here,' Gibbs told him, patting the arm of the chair.

'Yeah, right,' snorted Tony as he took the glass to the kitchen. 'If Abby ever found out that I let Leroy Jethro Gibbs sleep upright in my armchair while still recovering from a serious wound, she'd kill me and write it up in one of those forensic journals she contributes to. Here's the remote if you wanna watch something.'

Tony put the remote on the arm of the chair before leaving Gibbs alone. Gibbs sat quietly but his mind was busy. He found himself profoundly bothered by the comment Tony had made earlier about kidnappers knowing they would never get a cent from his parents. Did Tony really mean that, or was he just yanking McGee's chain? Gibbs wished it was the latter, but his gut told him otherwise. What kind of people allowed their child to think like that; to believe that they were worthless? Gibbs knew that there was no limit to the ransom he would be prepared to pay to get Kelly back. And Kelly would have known that when she was still alive.

Gibbs heard Tony coughing from the spare room – probably a response to the colder air in the bedrooms. The weather had turned bitter outside. Gibbs wondered whether Tony was suffiently well to be back at work but decided against sounding like a hypocrite by questioning Tony about his health and fitness.

'Done,' announced Tony as he returned and dropped down into the chair again. Gibbs noted he sounded a little breathless from the exertion. Not a good sign.

'Looking forward to sleeping in a normal bed,' muttered Gibbs, giving away a rare, personal insight. 'Can't stand knowing the damn nurses are popping in every five minutes.'

'It's okay if they're hot,' said Tony.

'Not if you're incapacitated,' countered Gibbs.

'As long as you're not blind,' persisted Tony.

The two men grinned at each other, and even though he hated risking ruining Tony's good humour, Gibbs HAD to raise the issue that was bothering him.

'Tony,' he began, his voice uncharacteristically tentative. 'What the hell makes you think that your folks wouldn't have paid a cent in ransom for you?'

Tony ran his hand across his chin and smiled the smile that Gibbs hated the most: the fake one that didn't reach his eyes. For a few moments, Gibbs thought that Tony wasn't going to answer him at all.

'I don't THINK they wouldn't have paid a cent,' said Tony, finally. 'I KNOW they wouldn't have. But that's okay. That's the past.'

'That's a pretty tough thing,' said Gibbs, hoping that Tony might open up a bit. Being a sympathetic listener wasn't an attribute listed in Gibbs' resume, and it hadn't featured in his last three marriages either, but he was prepared to make an exception for Dinozzo.

Tony exhaled a whole lot of breath he had been holding and stood up.

I don't wanna go there, Boss,' he told Gibbs. 'Trust me, neither do you. I'm gonna turn in. Do you need any help before I go?'

Gibbs recognized the finality in Tony's voice and put the topic on the backburner for another day.

'Just help me out of this chair,' said Gibbs as he put his empty cup on the side table.

Tony gently gripped Gibbs' upper arm with one hand and placed his other arm across the older man's shoulders. On Tony's count of three, Gibbs stood up, allowing Tony to support him.

'You okay?' asked Tony.

'I'm good,' said Gibbs. 'I can take it from here.'

Tony let go of Gibbs, but not before briefly tightening his grip around the older man's shoulders.

'Glad you're okay Boss,' Tony said softly before disappearing down the hallway to his bedroom, leaving Gibbs a little stunned and oddly affected by the gesture.

……………………………………………

Dianne Partington heard the voices again. It was her captor and the woman she had heard him talk to before. Usually their voices were hushed, but this time they were raised and she could hear most of what they were saying. She concentrated hard so that she would be able to recall the details later.

'…been there long enough,' the woman was saying.

'Had to wait……stop asking questions,' said the man.

'Made it worse………nearly killed him,' said the woman.

'….have to worry anymore. Ends tomorrow,' said the man.

And then there was a heavy slam of a door and Dianne was left in silence once again.


	23. Chapter 23

Drowning

Chapter 23

Abby worked happily at her bench, a fresh CAFFPOW within easy reach. She was in a particularly upbeat mood because as much as she enjoyed working alone, the company she had this morning was special – as in Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tony had rung the night before to forewarn her that he had a special baby-sitting assignment for her while he went to pay a visit to the Partingtons. Gibbs had been surprisingly co-operative when Tony had brought him down to the lab. He hadn't even interrupted while Tony was giving Abby a run-down of what medication the boss needed to take and when.

Abby stole a happy glance over at where Gibbs sat, and her happy expression diminished slightly. Gibbs was starting to look restless and a bit pissed off. '_Must be feeling better_,' Abby thought to herself.

'How you doing, Bossman?' Abby called out.

'Turn the damn music off!' was Gibbs' terse response.

'Okay, okay,' said Abby as she complied. 'No need to get huffy.'

'It's been too long,' muttered Gibbs, half to himself.

'No, I disagree,' said Abby. 'You were definitely very huffy yesterday with me, and even huffier with Ducky.'

'It's been too long since Dinozzo left,' clarified Gibbs, impatiently. 'He's been gone over an hour.'

'Call him,' said Abby, simply.

'I did,' said Gibbs. 'Recorded message.'

'Why don't you call McGee?' suggested Abby. 'He and Ziva are at the Partington house, aren't they?'

'Already did,' said Gibbs. 'McGee said he hadn't arrived yet. It's a ten minute drive from here to there. Where the hell is he?'

'Come on Gibbs,' Abby chided him. 'You can't pronounce someone missing after only 50 minutes. Maybe Tony stopped somewhere for a coffee or some groceries. Maybe he got talking to our new receptionist who thinks he's really cute. Maybe he had to answer the call of nature.'

'Well if he's doing any of that, maybe he should have called since he knows I'm sitting here waiting for him to arrive at the damn Partington house,' spat Gibbs.

Any remark Abby was about to make regarding how unreasonable Gibbs was being was not given airtime because Gibbs' cell began to buzz.

'Gibbs,' barked the boss into the phone.

'Boss, Tony's just arrived,' McGee told him. 'We're watching him go up the path now. He's rung the bell…..Door's opening…..'

'What's happening, McGee?' demanded Gibbs as the younger agent remained silent. God how he hated not being there to see what was happening with his own eyes!

'He's talking to Mrs. Partington,' said McGee. 'I don't think she's gonna let him in. No, hang on. He's in and the door is shut.'

'Keep me informed,' said Gibbs. 'I want you to call the moment Dinozzo comes out of there.'

'Won't Tony call you?' asked McGee.

'You getting hard of hearing, Agent McGee?' demanded Gibbs.

'Okay Boss. I'll call the moment Tony walks out of there,' stammered McGee hurriedly.

Gibbs terminated the call, tossed his cell on the desk in front of him, and glanced at his watch.

'Everything okay?' Abby ventured to ask.

'It will be when we've found Dianne Partington, when Brogan, or whoever the hell it was who shot me, is behind bars, and when I'm back in the field,' Gibbs told her tersely. 'I also want to know why the hell it took Dinozzo so long to get there.'

'Okey, Dokey,' said Abby as she resumed her work. 'Definitely huffy and definitely feeling better,' she whispered under her breath.

………………………………………………….

Tony pulled up outside the Partington house. Pretending to fix his hair, he looked in the rear vision mirror. Yep, there was McGee and Ziva in place with a clear view of the front of the property. Smiling to himself, he wondered if Ziva had been freaking the Probie out with stories of assassinations and torture. He slapped on a hard hat and a bright jacket before grabbing a clipboard and getting out of the car. Looking for all the world like a representative from an electricity company, Tony walked confidently up to the Partington's front door. He and Gibbs had agreed that they didn't want to spook anyone about to contact the Partingtons regarding delivery of the ransom money, but they needed to try and get Dianne's parents to talk. Otherwise, they might lose their money, their daughter, or both. Tony wished someone would answer the doorbell soon. It was damned cold!

After the second ring, Mrs. Partington came to the door.

'Morning,' said Tony, loudly as she showed her the clipboard. 'I need to come in and check your safety switches.'

'No, you can't. I mean, not now,' said Mrs. Partington. Her eyes were wide and frightened. Tony didn't need his gut to tell him something was up.

'I really need to come inside,' said Tony, leaning closer to her in the hope that she would recognize him from the time he had visited with Gibbs. He saw the flash of recognition in her eyes, but he also saw panic.

'I can help,' he whispered. 'Just pretend everything's okay.'

With that, he gently but firmly moved forwards so that Mrs. Partington had to allow him entry into the house. Once the door was closed behind them, Mrs. Partington started ringing her hands.

'We withdrew the amount he demanded, but he wants more,' she whispered, hoarsely. 'We can get more, but I can't bear the thought of her with him for a moment longer.'

Tony placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

'It's okay,' he told her. 'We can work this out together.'

'Oh, that's very sweet,' snarled a man who had suddenly appeared at the other end of the hallway. He was wearing a balaclava that obscured his facial features, jeans and a faded jumper. He had a gun in his hands and the gun was trained on someone or something in the adjoining room.

'Come and join the party,' he told Tony and Mrs. Partington. Tony guided the woman gently by the arm down the hallway towards the man. Mrs. Partington, clearly at the end of her tether, held her hand to her mouth. As they neared the man, Tony tried, unsuccessfully, to get a look at the kidnapper's face. The man waited until they had passed him before giving them both a shove to hurry them into the room. Tony's jaw dropped at the sight before him. Mr. Partington sat unharmed but tied to one of the velvet covered chairs. Standing beside him, the gun trained directly at her, was Dianne Partington.


	24. Chapter 24

Drowning

Chapter 24

'What do you think he is doing in there?' mused Ziva as she kept her gaze on the Partington's front door. It had been twenty minutes since Tony had entered the house. They had witnessed no suspicious vehicles or pedestrians in the street before of after his arrival.

'Trying to get the parents to admit they're planning to pay a ransom,' said McGee. 'And trying to convince them to let us in on it.'

'Yes, I know what he was _supposed_ to do,' said Ziva. 'I am curious about his approach.'

'Well,' said McGee, 'Gibbs would probably do the whole empathy thing, tell them he knows how they feel and how the only way they'll get their daughter back is to co-operate with NCIS. Tony wouldn't be able to take that angle since he hasn't had kids.'

'I would come straight out and tell them they are being fools if they are doing business on their own with a kidnapper,' said Ziva. 'Kidnappers rarely release their victims, even when the ransom has been paid, because they fear they will be identified by the victim.'

McGee glanced sideways at Ziva and then back to the road.

'Well, I guess that explains why Tony got the assignment instead of you,' he ventured. 'Tony's probably shooting the breeze a bit; playing along until he can catch them out.'

'This shooting of the breeze is taking a long time,' said Ziva, frowning. 'We need to know for certain that there has been a ransom demand so that we can act.'

The pair continued to sit and observe for five more minutes. Just as McGee decided that he should ring Gibbs before the boss rang him to demand to know what was going on, the door to the Partington house was flung open. Expecting to see Tony come striding out, McGee's mouth literally dropped open. Running down the path and along the sidewalk, directly towards their car, was a young woman. She was gesticulating wildly with her hands and her eyes were wide. It was Dianne Partington.

………………………………………………

Abby was seriously worried that Gibbs was going to wear out her floor. He had begun slowly pacing fifteen minutes ago. He had snapped at anything she tried to say to distract him, so she had kept working silently_. She_ was slightly concerned that they hadn't heard anything from Tony, but she was starting to be concerned about Gibbs as well. All this pacing and working himself into a tight ball of anxiety couldn't be good for his health. She could clearly hear his slightly labored breathing – courtesy of Gibbs insisting that she keep her music off. She loved Gibbs dearly but Abby was on the brink of protesting that she couldn't work under these circumstances.

The ringing of Gibbs' cell made them both jump. Gibbs snatched it up.

'What's happening?' he demanded.

'Gibbs. You won't believe what's happened,' came McGee's voice. He sounded tense. 'We've found Dianne Partington. Well, she technically found us. She ran out to the car. Her parents paid the ransom and he left her with them.'

'Is she hurt?' asked Gibbs. This sounded like a good result to him. The woman couldn't have been too badly hurt if she ran out to the car. And the money was probably a drop in the ocean for the Partingtons anyway.

'She's okay, Boss,' said McGee. And there again was the tension that Gibbs had detected in McGee's voice.

'Where are you now?' asked Gibbs, locking eyes with Abby who was standing in front of him, her face expectant.

'In the house,' said McGee. 'You need to get down here. I mean, if you're okay to,' he added.

'Let me talk to Tony,' said Gibbs. There was a long pause on the other end of the line that made the hairs on the back Gibbs' neck stand up.

'Tony's gone,' said McGee. 'The kidnapper was demanding more money from the Partingtons before he'd release Dianne unharmed. He ended up taking Tony instead.'

Gibbs terminated the call and stared down at the phone for a few moments before he remembered that Abby was waiting to hear what had happened. He looked her in the eye and let out the breath he had been holding.

'Feel like taking a drive?' he asked her.

……………………………………………

As he slowly regained consciousness, Tony became aware of several things: the back of his head was throbbing, his hands were tied tightly behind his back, and he was very, very cold. With a groan and a cough he opened his eyes a crack. He appeared to be in a room and he was sitting on the floor with his back against a wall. There was a thin line of light high above him, but it was not enough to illuminate the room. Tony shut his eyes again and tried to remember how he got to be where he was.

………………………………………..

When Gibbs, accompanied by an edgy Abby, entered the Partington living room, he was immediately bombarded by comments and questions from McGee, Ziva, Mr. and Mrs. Partington and Dianne Partington herself. Gibbs held up his hand to halt everyone. He needed details and he needed them fast. Social niceties would have to wait.

'McGee, give me a summary,' he demanded, his voice low and serious.

'Boss, when Tony – Agent Dinozzo – entered the house, the kidnapper was already here with Officer Partington,' explained McGee, his face pale. 'Money had been exchanged but he was demanding more. He had been threatening to shoot Officer Partington or take her away again, but Agent Dinozzo suggested that he be taken in her place.'

'Agent Gibbs,' said Dianne, standing up to address him. 'Agent Dinozzo convinced the kidnapper that NCIS would be good for a decent ransom, but I know as well as he does that NCIS has a strict policy against paying monetary demands in exchange for personnel. You _have _to find him!'

'What happened next?' Gibbs asked, addressing Mr. Partington.

'The kidnapper held Agent Dinozzo at gunpoint and left through the back entrance,' said Partington, shakily. 'He warned us to wait ten minutes before we raised the alarm or he'd shoot your agent,' he added.

'We waited nearly ten minutes and then Dianne ran out the front to find Agent McGee and agent David,' said Mrs. Partington. 'The kidnapper told us there were agents watching the house. That's why he brought Dianne in through the back entrance this morning.'

'We were waiting in the garden since before dawn,' added Dianne, shivering at the thought.

'How were you transported here?' asked Gibbs, marveling at the boldness of the kidnapper.

'We walked, a long way, through the night,' said Dianne. 'He kept his face covered and we both wore hooded jackets. He is very meticulous. I never saw his face.'

Gibbs shot his next questioning glare at Ziva who responded immediately.

'I investigated the entire lane way behind the house,' she said, her face tight with concern. 'One neighbor reported seeing a taxi in the lane around the time the kidnapper would have fled, but she could not remember seeing anyone inside.'

Abby brought one hand to her mouth and tried not to freak out. This couldn't be happening. How could a trained federal agent like Tony disappear underneath the noses of two other trained federal agents? Looking at Gibbs made her feel even more worried. The boss's mouth was set in a thin, tight line. She wondered who he was going to express anger at first: the Partingtons for not involving NCIS in the first place, McGee and Ziva for just sitting there while Tony was being taken, or Tony for sacrificing himself.

Gibbs stood quietly for a few moments as he tried to reign in his emotions. He could lose it, but that wasn't going to help Tony. Dianne Partington was back and now they were going to get Tony back, whatever the cost.

'Ziva, McGee, get back to NCIS and find that taxi,' he ordered. 'Abby, drive us to Vay's. I wanna know what she has to say about all this.'

'I want to help,' said Dianne, and Gibbs could see in her eyes that despite her ordeal, this was a young woman who was willing and able to assist them.

'Follow Ziva and McGee back to NCIS,' he told her. 'Bring a change of clothes. We'll do a thorough interview and see if we can find some forensic evidence that will tell us where you were being held.'

'Gibbs, what about Tony's car?' asked Abby, her bottom lip quivering slightly as the fact that Tony was in serious danger sank in.

'His keys are here,' said Mrs. Partington, indicating the coffee table. 'He was made to empty his pockets. The kidnapper took Agent Dinozzo's weapon.'

'McGee, drive it back to NCIS,' Gibbs told him, his face grim.

'Yes, Boss,' replied the younger agent.

And then everyone sprang into action, all well aware of the dire nature of the situation.

………………………………………………

Tony looked up as the thin line of light above him widened then narrowed. Sitting in the near dark, he had gradually recalled how he had come to be where he was. As they had left the Partington house, a taxi had pulled up in the lane. He had felt a sharp blow to the back of his head and then woken up where he was. And now the kidnapper was returning. He felt a shiver of trepidation run through his body – or was it merely a physical response to the freezing conditions? It was hard to tell.

'Ah, you're awake,' said the man as he came closer. 'Much better.'

'I guess it must be hard to gloat about kidnapping a woman and keeping her in a cellar when your audience is unconscious,' said Tony.

'Oh, I intend to gloat,' said the man. 'But I was more interested in a reunion. We've met before, Special Agent Tony Dinozzo.'

Tony winced involuntarily as a small lamp was switched on. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he could clearly see the man crouching in front of him, without the balaclava that had obscured his face. It was Matthew Brogan.

'You're not really a prime example of prison reducing recidivism, are you?' said Tony flippantly. 'Barely out of the slammer and back kidnapping easy targets.'

Brogan drew back his hand and struck Tony forcefully across the face. Tony took a moment before turning back to look Brogan in the eye again, the taste of blood in his mouth.

'I've hit the jackpot this time,' Brogan told him, nastily. 'I've already got a million in cash. Another million from NCIS and I can go into early retirement.'

'There's no way you'll get a cent out of NCIS, Brogan,' Tony told him. 'We don't do deals with scum like you.'

'You're lying,' said Brogan. 'And if they don't pay up, it will just give me another excuse to kill you. But not before I pay you back for putting me away the last time.' With that, Brogan struck Tony again before turning off the lamp and leaving his captive alone in the dark again.

Tony sank back against the cold wall and felt blood trickle from his nose. There was no way NCIS would entertain the idea of paying a ransom, and even if they did, he knew Brogan intended to kill him anyway. He was seriously screwed.


	25. Chapter 25

Drowning

Chapter 25

All the way to Vay's business, Abby put as much effort as she could muster into not begging Gibbs for reassurance that Tony was going to be okay. Their boss was already stressed enough. He'd never admit it, but Abby could tell. He had that same stony expression he had worn when Tony and Ziva had gone missing from the docks. And this time it was worse because Tony was alone. Abby tried not to think about Tony being anything more than his usual upbeat alive self, but images of him hurt and in trouble came unbidden to her mind. Abby gave a small, involuntary gasp as she came to the realization that if Tony did not make it through this, it would be ten times worse for her than losing Kate was.

'We'll find him, Abs,' said Gibbs from the passenger seat. And before she could find her voice to reply, he added, 'There's Vay's shop. Pull over here.'

Abby parked in front of 'Fortune's Fool' and killed the engine.

'Want me to come in?' Abby asked tentatively.

'Yep,' said Gibbs as he eased himself carefully out of the car. 'Bout time you did a bit of fieldwork.'

Abby managed a small smile and joined Gibbs. Together they entered the shop.

'Agent Gibbs. Abby. What a lovely surprise!' said Madam Vay in welcome from behind her counter. Abby gave a little wave hello but Gibbs was all business.

'I didn't think psychics received surprises,' he said, his face deadpan. 'See Matthew Brogan lately?'

'As I told Agent Dinozzo yesterday,' said Vay. 'I do not associate with my nephew.'

'We've found Officer Partington safe and well,' Gibbs told her, rapidly changing the subject and watching Vay carefully to gauge her response.

'I did assure you that she was safe and well,' said Vay, showing no surprise at all. 'That's wonderful news.'

'Not so wonderful for agent Dinozzo,' continued Gibbs.

Vay raised her eyebrows slightly and looked from Gibbs to Abby. The forensic scientist's face looked pinched and anxious.

'What happened?' Vay asked, her eyes showing her concern.

'Thought _you'd_ be able to tell _us_,' continued Gibbs, his eyes hard.

'I'm a psychic, Agent Gibbs. I've never claimed to know everything and anything. Please, what has happened to your agent? Has he been hurt again?'

A tense silence followed during which Abby nearly chewed through her bottom lip.

'He's missing,' said Gibbs, finally breaking the silence. 'Taken by the same man who returned Partington to her parents' house.'

Vay visible paled and sat down on the stool behind her.

'Oh my goodness!' she remarked softly. 'That is awful, awful news.'

Gibbs eyes narrowed as he regarded the woman. It was hard to interpret what was behind her reaction, but she had definitely been shaken by the news. He wanted to stay and grill Vay further, but he was also anxious to speak further to Diane and co-ordinate the search for Tony. He placed one of his cards on the counter top.

'Ring me if you get any vibes,' he told her, trying not to sound sarcastic.

Vay watched the pair go but called out to Abby as she was half way out the door.

'Don't worry, Abby,' she told the young woman. 'Agent Dinozzo will be okay.'

Abby nodded tearfully before turning to leave with Gibbs.

……………………………….

He could not, Tony decided, recommend sitting for a long period of time in a cold room with one's hands tied behind one's back. His shoulders were screaming, his chest was tight and he could barely feel his feet. Adding the fact that his face stung where he had been struck, Tony admitted to himself he was pretty miserable and uncomfortable. But at least Dianne Partington was back with her parents and no longer at Brogan's mercy. Thinking of that gave Tony some joy and satisfaction despite his predicament.

The widening strip of light above indicated that he was about to have company again. Perhaps he was about to learn more about his immediate fate. Tony steeled himself for whatever he was about to hear.

When Brogan switched on the small lamp, Tony's eyes took a few moments to adjust to the brightness. When they did he was able to focus on the sight of Matthew Brogan squatting in front of him, a sickeningly smug expression on his face.

'Comfy?' enquired Brogan.

'Peachy,' was Tony's automatic response. He was not planning on giving Brogan any satisfaction.

'I've sent NCIS a message,' said Brogan. 'They have to come up with a million dollars by tomorrow night, or I start sending them bits of you.'

'You've been watching too many B-Grade movies, Brogan,' said Tony, clucking his tongue in disapproval. 'That's hardly an original idea. I'm disappointed if that's all you could come up with after all those years behind bars. Besides, I've already told you that you won't get anything out of NCIS. It's against their policy.'

'I don't frankly care what I get out of them,' said Brogan, nastily. 'Although I'm willing to bet they'll pay up. Won't matter either way to you, though. I've only said that they get you in exchange for the money. I didn't promise that you'd be going back alive.'

'Why not just kill me now and be done with it then?' challenged Tony, as his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

Brogan leaned closer to Tony and grinned dangerously.

'Now where's the fun in that?' he asked.

Tony was about to give Brogan some advice about oral hygiene when the door above their heads opened again. Brogan, standing up, plucked his gun from his belt and trained it upwards until he saw who it was.

'What the hell are you doing?" he demanded. 'I told you to keep out of sight!'

As Tony watched, fascinated, Madam Vay descended the stairs, letting the door close behind her. Her eyes darted to Tony and the NCIS agent saw genuine shock in her expression.

'Agent Dinozzo, are you hurt?' she asked him as she neared the pair.

'I'm fine,' lied Tony, still not wanting to give anything away. 'We're just catching up and talking about old times.'

'Shut up!' hissed Brogan, kicking Tony's numb foot.

'You can't keep him here like this!' exclaimed Vay. 'You promised to return the woman and leave. This man's a federal agent.'

'I know who he is,' sneered Brogan. 'He's the bastard who had me locked up the last time. I'm holding_ him_ for ransom now. I couldn't knock back an opportunity like this.'

Tony studied Vay's face and saw panic join shock. She might have known about Partington, but Vay had had no idea that Brogan was holding Tony hostage.

'At least put some heat on,' said Vay, indicating the oil heater that was plugged into the wall. 'And give him some food and a blanket.'

'And then you'll want me to read him a bedtime story,' said Brogan. 'No, Special Agent Dinozzo can stay just as he is.'

Vay met Brogan's eyes, and for a few moments neither of them moved. Then, without warning, Brogan grabbed the woman by the wrist and pulled her down to sit on the floor beside Tony.

'What are you doing, Matthew?' Vay demanded, her voice rising.

'Sorry,' said Brogan, tossing her a pair of handcuffs. 'Can't trust you to keep quiet anymore.'


	26. Chapter 26

Drowning

Chapter 26

Gibbs strode purposefully out of the lift and into the bullpen, Abby trotting along beside him. If someone had stopped him to ask how he was feeling physically, he would not have been able to tell them. One of Gibbs' team was missing, which meant he had to compartmentalise and put to one side any lingering, personal physical discomfort. It did occur to him that the director might tell him that he was not fit to lead the investigation into Tony's disappearance, but only if she saw him, and only if she had a death wish. Abby and Gibbs found Ziva sitting at her desk. She stood up as they approached.

'Here are Dianne Partington's clothes,' she said, indicating the plastic bag on her desk. 'McGee has begun to take her statement in the Conference Room.'

'Abby..' said Gibbs, but Abby was already on her way to her lab with the bag.

'Call you as soon as I find something,' Abby called over her shoulder. She was relieved to have something to do – anything to take her mind away from imagining the worst.

'Gibbs, what can I do?' asked Ziva. 'I cannot just sit here any longer.'

Gibbs recognized his agent's frustration and knew he had to channel it productively.

'Check out Dinozzo's car,' he told her. 'See if you can find something that explains why the hell it took him so long to get to the Partington house.'

With that, Gibbs went off in the direction of the Conference Room as Ziva marched purposefully towards the garage.

………………………………………….

McGee carefully took notes as Dianne answered his questions. He knew Gibbs would want to know every detail. He could not afford to miss something that might lead them to Tony. McGee had been very impressed by Dianne. He would not have blamed her if she had wanted to stay at home with her parents after such a harrowing ordeal, but she was proving to be plucky and observant.

'He always provided very good food,' Dianne was saying. 'It was usually vegetarian and very wholesome. Tofu, lentils, wholegrain breads, yoghurt. He always brought me the food, left while I ate it, and collected the dishes later. He never ate in front of me, and he once commented that he didn't know how I could eat it when he couldn't even bear the smell of some of it. I'm certain that someone else was doing the food preparation.'

'How were you able to eat?' asked McGee. 'Did he untie your hands?'

'My hands weren't bound,' said Dianne. 'There was a cuff on my ankle attached to a long chain that was secured to the wall. I was able to use the toilet and walk around a little while he wasn't there. I was also able to lay down and sleep when my watch told me it was night-time. There was a blanket and pillow for me to use.'

The door to the Conference Room opened and Gibbs entered. Nodding a greeting to Dianne, Gibbs sat down and raised a questioning eyebrow at McGee who immediately filled his boss in on what had been revealed to that point. Dianne had been running by the stream in the reserve, following a route she had often taken. When she had stopped and crouched down to tie her shoelace, she had been overpowered from behind by a large man who had bundled her into a van, bound her ankles and wrists, gagged and blindfolded her and driven her to the location she was to be held at. The journey had taken between ten and fifteen minutes. When they had reached their destination, she had been assisted out and led down some stairs to a room where she was held for the duration of her captivity. She had been treated very well, except for suffering deprivation of her liberty.

'Did you ever see his face?' Gibbs asked Dianne.

'No. He always kept the balaclava on when he visited me,' she told him. 'I took it as a good sign. I figured he wanted to make sure I wouldn't be able to describe him after I was released.'

Gibbs nodded slightly, as impressed by her as McGee was. She just might provide them with enough clues that would lead them to Tony.

'What about other people?' asked Gibbs. 'Did he have an accomplice?'

'Hard to say,' said Dianne, furrowing her brow. 'I've already told Agent McGee that I'm certain someone else was providing the food, and I did hear a woman's voice, but I never saw anyone else. Whenever I heard the woman, she sounded quite angry with the kidnapper.'

'Did you ever hear them address each other?' asked Gibbs.

'No,' said Dianne, shaking her head. 'Do you have any idea who he is?'

'We have our suspicions,' Gibbs told her. 'Did Agent Dinozzo seem to recognize the kidnapper when he arrived at your parents' house?'

'No,' she replied, shivering involuntarily at the memory of earlier that day. 'But he still had the balaclava on.'

Silence descended over the trio for a few moments before McGee spoke up.

'Dianne, can you tell us anything distinctive about the smell, or sounds or items in the place you were held?' asked the younger agent. 'Anything at all.'

'Oh, I know how important it is to remember the little things,' said Dianne, rubbing her temples. 'You're thinking he's taken Agent Dinozzo to where he held me. Okay, okay. Let's see.'

Gibbs and McGee watched as Dianne closed her eyes, obviously concentrating hard, before snapping her fingers excitedly.

'It smelt quite beautiful,' she told them. 'Which is kind of weird given that it was obviously some kind of cellar, but it smelt really nice. I can't place what it smelt like, but it was kind of like a perfume.'

'That's really good,' said McGee, encouragingly. 'What else?'

'During the daylight hours I often heard a faint bell sound,' continued Dianne. 'Like a tinkling sound. I'm afraid I can't remember anything else.' she added regretfully.

'It's okay,' McGee told her, casting a worried glance at Gibbs who appeared to be deep in thought.

'Agent Gibbs,' said Dianne, addressing the older agent directly, causing him to meet her gaze. 'I'm so sorry about Agent Dinozzo. I feel really bad that he let himself be taken in place of me.'

'His job is to protect others,' Gibbs told her, the words getting a little stuck in his throat. 'He would have calculated the odds and decided that he stood a better chance than you.' _And he's far too reckless with his own life and has grown up thinking he's dispensable _thought Gibbs. _And when we do find him, he's going to receive the biggest lecture of all time about not putting himself in danger and engaging brain before mouth._

…………………………………_.._

Once the interview with Dianne was over, the naval officer insisted that she was okay to hang around for at least a few hours in case they had more questions for her. She, Gibbs and McGee arrived back in the bull pen in time to see Ziva return from the garage. The Mossad agent held a bag in each hand.

'I discovered these on the back seat of Tony's car,' she announced. 'I believe they tell us why he took so long to get to the Partington residence this morning.'

'What am I missing?' asked Abby, breathlessly as she rushed into the bullpen holding something enclosed in an evidence bag.

'This,' said Ziva, as she placed the larger bag on Gibbs' desk, 'contains several items of clothing. None of it belongs to Tony, unless his taste in clothes has seriously deteriorated.'

Gibbs reached into the bag and held up a sweater that was instantly recognizable as his own.

'These are my clothes,' he told Ziva, his expression unreadable.

'Oh my God! Gibbs, that is SO sweet!' exclaimed Abby. 'Tony must have taken a detour past your place to pick up some clothes for you!'

Gibbs, finding he couldn't quite verbalise anything intelligible at that moment, pointed to the smaller bag in Ziva's hand.

Glad for the distraction after her gaff, Ziva removed the items that were in the other bag and placed them on the desk.

'It is new deck of Tarot Cards,' she told them. 'And a silk scarf.'

'These are a gift for someone,' said Abby, tearing up slightly at the thought of Tony purchasing such a lovely present. 'There's no way he'd buy them for himself.'

McGee reached forward suddenly, grabbed the bag the gift had come from and delved inside it. Triumphantly he withdrew a slip of paper.

'These were bought from 'Fortune's Fool' this morning,' he told the group.

Gibbs shook his head slightly at this new revelation. Had Tony even been thinking straight that morning? Since when had he started organizing clothes and buying gifts for people during work hours? Even though part of him was touched by Tony's consideration of others, he wanted to scream at him for not getting his priorities straight.

'What have you got, Abby?' he demanded of the forensic scientist who was gazing at the beautiful scarf with teary eyes.

'This is your t-shirt,' she told Dianne, indicating the clothing in the evidence bag. 'I detected no fibers of other evidence that might tell me where you were being held, but it has a very distinctive smell about it, and don't worry – I'm not talking about body odor. I'm going to open the bag a little and I want you all to take a whiff.'

As Abby opened the bag, a distinctive fragrance emerged.

'That's what the room smelt like,' Dianne said. 'Like a perfume but not quite.'

'It's sandalwood,' said Abby. 'And it's what 'Fortune's Fool' smells like.'

Just as Gibbs was about to give the order for the team to gear up and get to Vay's, he was interrupted by the arrival of Jenny Shepherd. Her face was grim.

'I thought you'd be interested in the telephone call I just received,' she told Gibbs. 'NCIS has just received a ransom demand of one million dollars for the safe return of Agent Dinozzo.'


	27. Chapter 27

Drowning

Chapter 27

Tony shifted a little on the hard floor, trying to find a more comfortable position – an impossible task given his bound hands, the freezing air and his increasingly numb legs. He looked across at Vay. It had been interesting to observe her with Brogan. She was generally an irritatingly calm individual, but Tony had seen her show outrage at his imprisonment, shock at her own, and quiet seething since Brogan had left them on their own. He wondered at the extent of her involvement in the scheme to kidnap Dianne Partington. He decided to do some digging to distract himself from his discomfort.

'I was never a part of that young woman's kidnapping,' said Vay, suddenly, startling the NCIS agent. He had not asked her a single question out aloud.

'Geez!' spluttered Tony. 'You read minds as well?'

Vay looked over at him and sighed.

'You are an investigator, and now you are personally involved,' said Vay. 'It is in your nature to want to know how I became involved in this business. I don't have to read your mind to know that you are curious,' she added.

'So tell me,' coaxed Tony, 'how Aunt Miranda got involved in her evil nephew's little plan?'

'I had not seen Matthew since before he went to prison,' began Vay. 'When he showed up, years later, I wanted to believe that he was after a fresh start and that he was catching up with relatives. What he really wanted, however, was for me to help him with a criminal activity.'

'And you agreed?' asked Tony, slightly incredulous. Vay had not struck him as the criminal type.

'I told him I wanted no part of it,' said Vay, her tone becoming bitter. 'But he informed me that I already was. Dianne Partington was already in this basement and he had already demanded a ransom. He told me that if I told the police, he'd kill her. I believed him.'

'So why come to us?' asked Tony. 'Weren't you risking her life?'

'I was doing precisely what he wanted me to do,' said Vay. 'He wanted to make sure that there were no police looking for Dianne Partington when he exchanged her for the ransom money. My job was to convince you people that Dianne was safe and that the investigation should be called off. Matthew didn't want to risk being caught like he had before. An undercover officer delivering the ransom money arrested him the last time.'

'Mmm, that was actually me,' Tony told her.

'He was very angry when he found out you were part of the investigating team,' said Vay.

'Enough to shoot at me and Gibbs on our way back from seeing the Partingtons?' asked Tony. Vay's eyes widened. She had not made the connection between her nephew and the shooting of Agent Gibbs.

'I believe so,' she said, finding her voice. 'Unless it was a terrible co-incidence that someone else happened to shoot at your car on that day.'

Tony chuckled wryly as he imagined was Gibbs would say to that, and then immediately sobered as he realised that Gibbs had narrowly missed being killed by a man who had a serious grudge against Tony. Vay saw the combined worry and guilt in the man's face. She was also very aware of the way his breathing was becoming more and more laboured.

'Agent Gibbs and Abby have already come looking for you,' she told him. 'I know they will come back. They know you are missing and that you are sick. And they will find you.'

Tony shook his head at her words.

'Isn't the whole psychic thing crap?' he scoffed. 'You made all that stuff about Dianne up so that we'd call off the investigation. We did some digging. I know you're a profiler, like Kate was. She could tell all sorts of stuff about a person just by watching them.'

Dianne regarded him quietly and appeared to be making a decision about something. Then, she shut her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. Their gazes were locked. Tony gasped inwardly. It was as if she was looking beyond him.

'You lost your mother at a very young age,' she whispered. 'You had everything but nothing as you were growing up. You were told and you believed that you were worthless. You spent a lot of your early years wanting a different life – even wanting to be a different person. You are not afraid to face the dangers of your job, but your great fear is that you will become your father; that you will have a family and that you will let them down.'

Vay stopped speaking and her words hung in the air before continuing.

'But you will not become your father. He was not a worthy role model. You HAVE a worthy role model now, and that role model will not let you down.'

Tony finally managed to break eye contact with Vay.

'What about the Yankees?' he asked, attempting to sound flippant. 'Will they finish on top this year?'

But Vay was not finished and Tony found himself making eye contact with her once again.

'He is not perfect, Tony, but he's perfect for you. You will save each other a number of times more in the future. And you will one day be an excellent father.'

A noise above them announced the return of Brogan. The kidnapper descended the stairs and crouched in front of his captives.

'NCIS have just received my demands,' he bragged. 'Your director didn't sound happy. Shame about that.'

'It doesn't matter what you're asking,' Tony told Brogan with contempt in his eyes. 'NCIS does not deal with scum like you.'

Brogan reached forward and grabbed a handful of Tony's shirt, and pulled the man upwards. The action caused Tony to gasp involuntarily as the pain in his arms increased. Brogan ignored Vay's protests.

'NCIS might not hand over the money for you,' snarled Brogan, 'but one of your pals might. Not that it'll make any difference. Whoever ends up paying will be getting very damaged goods for their trouble.'

………………………………………………………….

Jenny Shepherd entered her office and closed the door as Gibbs began to pace the floor in front of her desk.

'Shouldn't you sit down,' she said as he made her way to her own seat. 'You're barely out of the hospital.'

'Shouldn't you be getting the money together?' Gibbs snapped back. 'That bastard's given us 48 hours before he contacts again.'

'Jethro,' said Jenny, warily. 'You don't need me to tell you that NCIS has a strict policy about ransom demands. You can't expect me to deal with a criminal.'

'Damn it, Jen!' yelled Gibbs, slamming his fist down onto her desk. 'This is not _**any **_kidnapper. This is a kidnapper who has one of my agents – one of my agents who is unwell and shouldn't have even been out in the field!'

It occurred to Jenny that it was ironic that _Gibbs_ was pointing out Dinozzo's lack of fitness for fieldwork, but she held her tongue.

'You can get the money together, Jen,' he told her, 'even if we have to use it and then get it back.'

'Jethro, NCIS policy clearly states…' Jenny began.

'Screw the policy!' yelled Gibbs. 'This is Dinozzo we're talking about! I will not let you risk his life following some goddamn protocol!'

Jenny saw the raw emotion in Gibbs' face and she heard it in his voice. This was not the time to admonish him for not respecting her rank within the organization they both served. She had enough emotional intelligence to realize there was a complicated but intense bond between Gibbs and the younger agent. Reminders about protocol could wait.

'I'll see what can be done,' she told Gibbs. 'You get your team working on trying to find him. And Jethro? Be careful. I don't want to have to take you off a case you're technically not even supposed to be on.'

Gibbs blew out the breath he had been holding in readiness for another verbal blast, and nodded. Once outside Jenny's door, he leant against it, shutting his eyes. He hated the thought of Tony captive and unwell. He hated even more the memory of Tony's frank comments about his own childhood and his belief that his own kidnapping would not elicit money from his father. If it came to it, Gibbs resolved, this was one ransom demand that WOULD be met.


	28. Chapter 28

Drowning

Chapter 28

_My apologies for the brevity of the chapter, but I felt I had to post something given the prompting I've been receiving, LOL! More soon – I promise. Love, Zan._

Ziva read the sign that said 'Closed for two weeks - on holiday' before expertly and quickly picking the lock. Gesturing to McGee and Gibbs, she made her way inside, being careful to only open the door partially so that the bell did not ring. The two men quickly followed, McGee shutting the door behind them. All was quiet inside 'Fortune's Fool'. Everything was neat and orderly. The sandalwood candles that had been burning the last time Gibbs had visited with Abby had been extinguished, but their scent was heavily evident.

'I want a thorough search for a basement,' whispered Gibbs, his keen eyes scouring the place. 'And do it quietly. If the kidnapper's here, I want him surprised.'

Gun drawn and at the ready, Ziva went through the open doorway at the rear of the shop. McGee followed her while Gibbs carefully scrutinized the floor of the shop, moving the rugs aside with his feet in case they were covering a trap door. His encounter with Jenny and his recent injury had left him on edge, but at least he could channel some energy into a search for his missing agent. The last straw for Gibbs had been to see Tony's vial of antibiotics still sitting on his desk. It had been bad enough the younger man had given himself up to a kidnapper without Gibbs knowing he was ill and without his medication.

Ziva and McGee carefully investigated the kitchenette, modest living room, bedroom and bathroom that led off the narrow hallway. Each room was small but neat and tastefully furnished. There was no sign of anyone. Nor was there any door or stairway leading to a basement. Together, the two agents cautiously opened a door that led outside into a small courtyard. Again, there was no sign of life or evidence of an underground room. As Ziva went back inside to deliver the bad news to Gibbs, McGee stood and scanned the back of the building, despite the severe chill in the air. He had no stomach for what he knew Gibb's reaction would be. Gibbs was always particularly…rabid when Tony was in danger. Gibbs often displayed impatience and sarcasm in his day to day dealings with the senior field agent, but there was no doubt how much the older man was affected when Tony was missing or sick or threatened in some way. As an onlooker, McGee found the relationship between the two men to be very strange. There were no half-measures. Tony either pissed Gibbs off to the max, or made him laugh. Gibbs could deliver the sharpest of head slaps one moment and then pat Tony on the head for a job well done the next. As he surveyed the building, McGee hoped ferverently that Tony would be found safe and well – for all of their sakes.

'McGee!' barked Gibbs from inside. 'Unless your ass is frozen to the spot, get moving!'

McGee ran inside in time follow Gibbs and Ziva out the door.

'We are going back to NCIS,' Ziva told him in a hushed voice as they hurried after Gibbs who was striding purposely towards the car. 'Gibbs is not pleased.'

McGee could hear a sarcastic voice in his head asking Ziva how she came to that conclusion, but he realized, grimly, that it was Tony's voice. Even though he wasn't there, Tony was with them. As McGee got into the back seat of the car, little icy tentacles of fear began to wrap themselves around his heart, and it had nothing to do with the fact that Ziva was driving.

………………………………………………

Miranda Vay was growing increasingly concerned about the NCIS agent her nephew had captured. Unlike Brogan's almost compassionate treatment of Dianne Partington, he appeared to be hell bent on making Tony Dinozzo as uncomfortable as possible. Despite the cold, Brogan refused to turn the heater on or provide a blanket. He had provided no water either – not that Tony had asked for any – but it was obvious that the agent was very unwell. He was pale and sweaty and was probably becoming more and more dehydrated by the moment. Miranda was trying not to look directly at him because the last thing she wanted to do was add to his discomfort, but a sudden and harsh bout of coughing drew her direct attention to him. She had not heard coughing like it. Its intensity and the way it seemed to leave darker shadows beneath the man's eyes shook her.

'Are you okay?' she asked, finally, once the bout was over and Tony had fallen silent, his eyes closed. She was aware that it was a fairly pointless question, but she wanted to hear a response from him. Tony managed a languid smile and opened his eyes a crack.

'Scared you, didn't I,' he rasped. 'Scares the crap out of me.'

Miranda swallowed. She knew that Tony Dinozzo would not normally admit personal vulnerability, especially not to a relative stranger – and perhaps not even to those close to him.

'What sickness did you have in the past?' she asked him, her curiosity getting the better of her. 'Did you have pneumonia?'

'It's never that simple with me,' said Tony, his voice weak. 'I had the pneumonic plague. Nearly killed me, apparently.'

'How were you infected?' asked Miranda, her eyes wide with incredulity.

'Long story,' said Tony. 'Someone wanted revenge. Nothing personal, for a change.'

'It must have been awful for you,' said Miranda, her voice sympathetic.

'It was pretty bad,' admitted Tony. 'Ducky told me that I spent a couple of weeks literally trying not to drown. Lungs were pretty clogged up.'

Tony shut his eyes again and Miranda wondered whether he was thinking back to what must have been a very frightening time in the hospital. She regretted bringing up the subject.

'You know,' said Tony suddenly, 'it would have been really weird if Brad Pitt had actually been the star of Alien. I would have liked that. Of course, it would have been totally lost on Kate.'

Miranda realized that her fellow captive was beginning to ramble – the early worrying signs of delirium. She inwardly cursed Brogan and urged NCIS to find them.

'Miranda.' She looked over at Tony and was a little shocked to see his eyes fully open and looking directly at her.

'Yes,' she replied, giving him her full attention.

'Tell Gibbs I'm sorry that I screwed up,' he said. 'And,' he continued, his lips beginning to tremble slightly, 'tell Abby that I hope…'

Somehow Tony found himself unable to finish what he was going to say. Totally drained, he shut his eyes again and rested his head back against the cold wall of their prison, leaving Miranda even more concerned.

………………………………………………………….


	29. Chapter 29

Drowning

Chapter 29

Abby sprang up from Gibbs desk chair as she saw McGee, Ziva and Gibbs walk quickly out of the elevator.

'Did you find him?' she asked, her voice high and anxious. Gibbs gave a slight shake of his head and patted her on the arm before taking his seat.

'But he has to be there!' protested Abby. 'The sandalwood and the veg food were like total giveaways! What did Miranda say?'

'Miranda said nothing, Abby,' Ziva told her. 'She is not at her business. There is a sign on her door saying she is taking holidays for two weeks.'

'But that's like so not true!' exclaimed Abby. 'Miranda was telling me about some spiritual convention thing that's happening in this city in the next couple of days. There's no way she'd go on holidays and miss it!'

'Perhaps she was a part of Partington's kidnapping and is now involved in Tony's disappearance,' said Ziva.

'But that doesn't make any sense,' said Abby as she began to pace up and down the office. 'She tried to help us find Dianne, and she's just too nice a person to be a kidnapper.'

'Even the most hardened criminals can appear to be charming and nice,' countered Ziva, earning herself a look of disapproval from Abby. She looked across at Gibbs who was talking uncharacteristically softly on the telephone. He looked pale and drawn. It was hard to know whether it was the result of worry about Tony, pain from his wound, or a combination of both. Ziva wondered with whom he was speaking. It had to have something to do with Tony's disappearance. One of the things she had come to know about Gibbs was that he was particularly single-minded when it came to cases that affected him personally. Her boss ended the call and turned his attention to McGee.

'What have you got McGee?' he asked the younger agent who looked up from his computer with a surprised look on his face.

'How did you know I have something?' he asked, wondering if Gibbs indeed had some psychic abilities of his own.

'Because you started tapping away the moment we got in here, and you look like you've found something,' said Gibbs. 'Now give it up.'

'I ran a search on the building that Fortune's Fool is in,' explained McGee. 'It looked kind of old, so it was likely that they'd be something on it. It is, in fact, a building of significant historical value. It's mentioned as a site of considerable criminal activity in 1925.'

'Prohibition,' said Gibbs. McGee nodded his head.

'What is that?' asked Ziva.

'Otherwise known as the Noble Experiment,' said McGee. 'From 1919 to 1933, the sale, manufacture and consumption of alcohol were banned. As a result, Mafia activity exploded, largely running on the profits of selling alcohol on the black market. Gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran made millions of dollars through illegal alcohol sales.'

'Bugs Moran,' said Ziva, 'sounds like a character in a movie.'

'_Bugsy Malone_ was a film about Fat Sam who ran an illegal bar hidden behind a bookstore,' said McGee, his eyes excited. 'Boss, the building Vay runs her business from was a speakeasy disguised as a grocery store.'

'But what has this got to do with finding Tony?' exclaimed Abby. She really loved McGee but if he embarked on any more spouting forth of historical information without Tony there to ridicule him, she was going to have to slap him.

'The business was run from the cellar,' McGee told her. 'Boss, the entrance was via a concealed trapdoor in the garden. There's hardly any garden now. It looked as if the building has been extended. The trapdoor would have been incorporated.'

'Let's go,' said Gibbs as he began to stride towards the elevator.

'Gibbs,' said Ziva as they waited for the doors to open, 'perhaps it would be better if you stayed here. If we find Tony, his kidnapper is likely to be armed. There may be some conflict and you are not yet fully recovered.'

Gibbs fixed her with a hard stare.

'Perhaps _you_ would like to wait here,' he suggested, his voice dangerously calm.

Ziva thought briefly about how frustrating it would be to sit at her desk and do nothing while the others attempted to find and rescue Tony. It would be very difficult for her, and she had only known Tony for a fraction of the time Gibbs had known him.

'You have made your point,' she said quietly before following him into the elevator.

………………………………………………………………

Miranda had never felt more helpless. When her nephew was holding Dianne Partington captive in her cellar, at least Miranda had been able to help the situation by convincing NCIS to back off, thereby hastening the ransom exchange and Dianne's release. She had also been able to provide the young woman with good quality food. It had always been her intention to inform the authorities about who was responsible, one the danger to the young officer was gone. She had felt somewhat empowered despite the difficult situation. But now she could do precious little to help either herself or the ailing man sharing her prison. She had already done what she could. She had thrown her thick cardigan across Tony's legs and engaged him in conversation during his increasingly infrequent periods of consciousness.

A sudden change in Tony's breathing alerted her that he had woken up again. She felt another pang of guilt as he coughed painfully.

'I'm so sorry,' she said.

'Not your fault,' managed Tony, regarding her through half-closed eyes.

'But it's _**my**_ nephew who's doing this,' protested Miranda. 'He was after money to begin with, but now it's like he's more interested in hurting you. I should have told you about him from the start.'

'You couldn't risk her life,' Tony told her, shifting uncomfortably against the wall and floor. 'As for Brogan being your nephew, that's not your fault. Believe me, it's a bummer that you can't choose your relatives.' The combination of moving and the effort of conversation provoked another coughing fit that left Tony spent and light-headed.

'Tony,' ventured Vay after a few moments of silence.

'Mmm?' was his response.

'Help is coming.,' she tried to assure him. 'I know it is. Abby is going to love the cards and the beautiful cloth. You're going to recover from this and have many more happy times with her and the rest of your friends.'

Tony heard her and vaguely wondered how the hell she knew the present had been intended for Abby, but then he remembered that she was the psychic after all and you couldn't possibly expect to keep any secrets from her. You couldn't keep secrets from Gibbs either, but for different reasons. Vay might really be a real deal of a psychic (Tony hadn't decided that yet), but Gibbs was in a league of his own. His mind wandered happily for a while before he felt a familiar tightening in his heart. It had nothing to do with restricted blood flow or the urge to cough. It was an old, familiar companion – anxiety.

'Not going to bring the money,' Tony mumbled, his eyelids heavy and his eyes glassy.

'What did you say?' asked Vay, unsure whether Tony was fully conscious or not, but worried even more than she was before. It seemed her attempts to reassure him had failed. But it was true that help was near. She could feel it.

'I heard him say it,' continued Tony in a whisper. 'He said he would never waste it on me.'

Miranda felt a shiver run through her and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She had met Jethro Gibbs, Tony's Boss. She had gauged his integrity and his protective attitude towards Tony. Tony's ramblings may well be a suppressed truth, but she was confident that Tony was not referring to Gibbs.


	30. Chapter 30

Drowning

Chapter 30

Brogan made his way down the stairs into the basement and smiled evilly when he saw how weak and defeated Agent Tony Dinozzo appeared to be. He was highly amused by the scathing look that his aunt sent him.

'For God's sake give him some water, put some heat on and unlock the handcuffs!' Miranda implored her nephew. 'It's bad enough that you've kidnapped a federal officer and are demanding a ransom for him. There's absolutely no excuse for the inhumane way you're treating him!'

'Inhumane?' scoffed Brogan as he stood over his two captives. 'Prison – the place HE put me – was inhumane. This is justice. Didn't you used to tell me that you reap what you sow? Well, Agent Dinozzo here is simply getting what was coming to him.'

'That's absurd!' Miranda told him, concerned that Tony hadn't spoken. Perhaps he had lapsed into a deep unconsciousness. The thought fed her anger at her nephew. 'If you hadn't committed a crime, you wouldn't have been in any danger of being sent to jail. He was only doing his job. He's not well. You're going to have his death on your hands, and I'll be telling the court exactly how badly you treated him!'

Brogan stared down at Miranda and shook his head.

'You know, I'm really disappointed with the lack of family loyalty,' he told her, menacingly. 'I'm not asking any money for you, and I don't really want a bleeding heart ruining my fun. Perhaps I'll get rid of you now.'

'You'll get life for killing a federal officer,' Tony murmured weakly, drawing Brogan's attention away from Miranda. Brogan crouched down in front of Tony and got right into the agent's personal space.

'They'll have to catch me first,' he told Tony. 'Right now, your friends are scurrying around trying to get a whole lot of money together to save your sorry hide. They're too busy to look for you, and there's no way they'll find you anyway. I had that navy officer down here for ages and they never found her. And the best thing is,' he added, pressing his face within centimeters of Tony's, 'is that I'm gonna kill you anyway. I'll be taking the money and giving them a corpse.'

Tony swallowed to try and suppress the harsh tickling at the base of his throat. He didn't want to have a full-on, debilitating coughing fit in front of Brogan if he could help it.

'No-one's trying to get any money together,' he rasped. 'Only vulnerable people like the Partingtons who have their own money and love their kid end up paying ransoms. You'd better get satisfaction out of killing me, because that's all you're gonna get out of this.'

At that moment, Vay happened to look up and was met with the most wonderful sight. Behind Brogan, creeping down the stairs, was the dark-haired ex Mossad agent Ziva. Behind her was Agent Gibbs and Agent McGee. Seeing Miranda look directly at them, Ziva brought her finger to her lips.

Brogan slipped a knife from out of his belt and held it menacingly. Gibbs placed a restraining hand on Ziva's shoulder, silently warning her against advancing further while Brogan was so close to Tony with a weapon.

'Guess I'd better get to work,' Brogan told Tony, unaware that his audience was greater than two. 'I promised I'd start sending a few souvenirs to your friends. Maybe we'll start with some hair.'

Tony's eyes widened as the knife was brought closer to his face. He was suddenly seized by a severe coughing fit that he could no longer repress. As he wheezed, Brogan grabbed a handful of his hair and raised the knife.

With Ninja-like skill (that Tony would later comment upon ad nauseum) Ziva drew her own knife and threw it with absolutely perfect precision and force. It struck Brogan in the upper back, embedding itself deeply. With a gasp, the kidnapper let go of Tony and the knife, and pitched forward onto the man he had been tormenting.

Quickly, Ziva, Gibbs and McGee rushed forward. McGee unceremoniously hauled Brogan off Tony and saw that he had already lost consciousness. Ziva went to Miranda who was looking anxiously towards Tony who was obviously having difficulty catching his breath. Gibbs ignored the pain in his chest as he knelt down in front of his number one field agent.

'Agent Gibbs,' said Miranda with urgency in her voice. 'His breathing has been terribly laboured. He has been mostly conscious but rambling on and off for the last hour.'

'McGee! Get Ducky down here and call the EMT's!' shouted Gibbs.

'On it Boss,' replied McGee who was already halfway up the stairs. Gibbs placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and gripped it tightly.

'It's okay,' he told the younger man. Within such close proximity to Tony, Gibbs could clearly see the faint tinge of blue around his lips. It was something he had never wanted to see again in his life.

Tony heard the trusted voice and willed himself to get control, but black spots were beginning to dance at the edge of his eyes and he was so very, very tired. He could no longer keep his head from lolling forward, now that the coughing had subsided. Gibbs snaked his arm between Tony and the wall and encountered the locked handcuffs. The cuffs were secured to the wall by a very short length of chain, which had obviously prevented Tony from lying down.

'Ziva! Get him free!' ordered Gibbs.

As Gibbs held Tony by the shoulders and pulled him away from the wall as far as the short chain would allow, Ziva knelt beside them and began to work at the cuffs. Her worried eyes traveled to Gibbs and to Tony now and then as she worked. Ziva had been concerned while Tony was missing, but now that they had found him and he was not making any sexual comment about her releasing him from handcuffs, she was extremely concerned.

Gibbs heard the soft click as the cuffs were opened. He carefully eased Tony's arms forward to a more natural position, an action that elicited a soft moan from the younger man.

'Easy,' Gibbs told him, softly. Tony looked at Gibbs and seemed to be realizing his presence in the basement for the first time.

'Boss, it's Brogan,' he slurred.

'Yeah, we know,' said Gibbs, gently rubbing Tony's arms to speed up the return of circulation. His skin was like ice. Tony swallowed and tried to stop his eyes from rolling back in his head. Why was the room spinning? Where had Brogan gone? Why was he so tired?

'Don't feel so good,' he muttered.

'I'm not surprised, young man!' came Ducky's voice as he descended the stairs. 'Confinement in a cold basement does not come highly recommended as a line of treatment for someone with a suspected respiratory infection.'

As the old M.E. approached, however, the stern rebuking tone disappeared. He could hear the harsh breathing from the foot of the stairs. Tony was obviously going downhill fast.

'Help me lay him down, Jethro,' Ducky said quietly. 'Once the EMT's come, he'll definitely need to go to Bethesda.'

As Ziva and Miranda watched, Gibbs drew Tony further away from the wall and gently eased him down onto the cardigan Miranda quickly spread out. Tony complied. He was too tired to protest. He was simply grateful to be laying down, and, after all, Gibbs was there to have his six. He gave a sigh and gave in to the heaviness he felt in every pore of his being.


	31. Chapter 31

Drowning

_Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I'm sorry this has turned out to be quite a marathon. There are one or two chapters to go. I thought this might have been the last one, but my muse had other ideas. Enjoy!_

Chapter 31

_Waiting rooms sucked, _Gibbs thought to himself as he tried to get more comfortable on the plastic chair, _but it's a hell of a lot better than Dinozzo still being in that cold basement. _Ducky had barely finished examining Tony when the EMT's had arrived. A few quiet words from the normally verbose ME had them hastily bundling Tony out of the basement and into the ambulance. A second team had taken the unconscious Brogan. As much as Gibbs had wanted to accompany Tony to the hospital, he had sent Ducky. He had stayed to make sure evidence was collected methodically and properly. He wanted there to be no loophole that Brogan could slip through when the case went to trial. McGee had taken the photographs and bagged and tagged. Ziva was given the task of taking Vay back to NCIS to make a full statement. Gibbs had told Ziva that the director could make the decision about Vay's immediate future as she had been the one to involve her in the first place. Gibbs wondered how that had gone down with Jenny – not that he cared. He had more important things to care about.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Gibbs looked up to see Ducky. As he went to stand up, his friend protested.

'No, no, Jethro. Sit down. I'll join you. I'm a bit weary myself,' said Ducky.

'What's happening?' Gibbs asked, the urgency in his voice clearly evident. He could not keep the image of Tony's blue-tinged lips out of his mind.

'It seems Anthony has developed a rather nasty case of pleural effusion,' said Ducky. 'It's likely that he had some pneumonia – probably the result of a viral infection – and then the infection spread to the membranes lining the chest wall. He now has fluid between the membranes.'

'He doesn't have the plague again?' asked Gibbs with trepidation. 'It sure as hell looked like it when we found him.'

'Jethro, he doesn't have the plague,' Ducky assured his friend. 'The bronchoscope confirmed the pleural effusion.'

'But what about the blue?' persisted Gibbs, pointing to his own mouth.

'When Anthony had the plague, he developed pneumonia,' Ducky explained. 'Pleurisy and pleural effusion are complications of pneumonia. The blue tinge is called cyanosis. It simply indicates lack of oxygenation. It rather reminds me of a young chap that I…..'

'Ducky!' snapped Gibbs. 'Is Tony going to be okay?'

'As long as he rests properly and takes the antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and painkillers, he will recover,' Ducky explained. 'He'll be in hospital for at least a week. But I heartily recommend once he's recovered that he receive the pneumonia vaccine that is available. The condition that he has is very uncomfortable.'

Gibbs heaved out a whole lot of air he hadn't been aware of holding and slumped back against the wall. Tony was alive and he was going to recover.

'He's sedated for now and will probably remain so for most of the night,' said Ducky, 'which is why I'm taking YOU home now so that you can get some rest.'

'I'll be staying here,' said Gibbs, but then he felt Ducky grab his arm sharply. He turned in his seat to see Ducky look sternly and critically at him.

'You will be coming home with me to rest,' said Ducky in a tone that brokered no argument. 'You are still recovering from a serious injury. Little wonder Anthony has been reckless with his health when his role model has been out gallivanting with a fresh bullet wound. No doubt you'll _chew him out_, as Anthony would say, about putting himself at risk, but they'll be a good deal of hypocrisy in your words if you do. The young man has you on a pedestal, Jethro. You can't expect him not to take the risks he knows you would.'

Gibbs stared back at his friend, and for a moment Ducky thought that his words had had no effect.

'Tony's gonna be out of it all night?' Gibbs asked.

'Completely, I promise you,' said Ducky. 'He's in a ward that's pretty much ICU. All going well, they'll put him in his own room in the morning.'

'Okay,' agreed Gibbs, suddenly acknowledging the fatigue in his body. 'You're driving.'

………………………………………..

Before he'd even opened his eyes, Tony knew that he was in a hospital room. The smell and the sounds gave it away. And the fact that he felt like crap. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was in a private room. His upper body was propped up with pillows to ease his breathing. He had a drip in his arm. He guessed that whatever was going into his body, there was some painkiller in there. His chest still ached, but there was nothing like the crushing pain he had felt the night before. Turning his head, he saw an empty chair. Swallowing, he felt disappointment wash over him and closed his eyes again. Dismissing the empty feeling, Tony thought back to the case. He had a vague memory of Brogan falling and then the arrival of the team. The team would be tying up the loose ends now. Everything had ended well. Dianne was back with her family and Brogan was going back behind bars. He was safely in the hospital. There wasn't any real need for any of them to be here with him.

'_You could increase security,' his father's friend told him as he threw some more money into the middle of the table._

'_What for?' asked his father, playing a card as Tony listened intently from his hiding place under the table._

'_Three children under the age of ten in this neighborhood have been taken and held to ransom,' said the man. 'Are you not afraid that you will be the next target? It is no secret that you have great wealth.' Tony heard his father laugh and the sound of more money being thrown into the pot._

'_Let them take him,' he said. 'They will not get a cent out of me. In fact, they'd be doing me a favour and saving me money in the long run.'_

_Tony drew his knees under his chin and tried to cover his ears. Fat tears began to course down his cheeks._

'_You are joking,' persisted the friend. Tony saw his father's legs move, indicating that he was leaning forward in his seat._

'_I never joke,' said his father, his voice cold and hard. 'I'll raise you ten. Enough talking.'_

Tony shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory. He brought his hand to his face and swiped at his eyes, just as the door opened.

'You're awake,' said the young nurse, stating the obvious, reminding him of another thing he hated about hospitals. 'Would you like a visitor?'

'Sure,' replied Tony. Anything to distract him. The nurse retreated and soon Gibbs was by his bedside and occupying the chair that had stood empty.

Gibbs looked Tony over critically. Satisfied that his agent was no longer on the brink of death, he delivered something of a lopsided grin that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

'You okay?' he asked.

Tony gave a snort and nodded towards the drip.

'So long as they're pumping me full of that stuff I guess I am,' he replied. Gibbs immediately noticed the weakness in his voice, and something else he couldn't quite place.

'What are you doing about Vay?' asked Tony, changing the subject.

'What do you think we should do about her?' asked Gibbs, curiously.

'We should cut her some slack,' Tony told him. 'Brogan blackmailed her into making NCIS go away. It's not her fault she's got a dodgy relative.'

The pair sat in silence as Gibbs regarded Tony. He had done a lot of thinking about what he needed to say to Tony. Ducky's words were still ringing in his ears. He wanted to do this right.

'How's your gunshot wound?' asked Tony, suddenly – throwing Gibbs off balance again.

'Better,' he replied. 'Ducky's making me take it easy now that we've found you.'

A slight smile played at the edges of Tony's mouth as he imagined Ducky giving Gibbs a stern lecture. The ME was just about the only one who could do that and expect to stay alive.

'Tony, why the hell didn't you go straight to the Partingtons?' asked Gibbs.

'Come on, Boss,' said Tony, in the weak voice that Gibbs decided he hated as much as the blue tinge that had almost completely disappeared. 'You definitely needed a change of clothes. I wanted to save you the bother. And besides, if I'd got there earlier, I would have scared off Brogan and then we might never have got Dianne back. I was kind of meant to get there when I did.'

'I hope you're not gonna say you were using your sixth sense,' growled Gibbs. He'd had enough of so-called psychics.

'Just my gut,' said Tony. 'I've learnt from the best.'

Gibbs lent forward and rested his elbows on the bed, bringing his face closer to Tony's. The younger man unsuccessfully attempted a flippant look, but he was still too unwell to direct energy into assuming and maintaining his usual mask.

'Why the hell are you so reckless with yourself?' Gibbs asked him. He spoke quietly, but his tone was serious and Tony knew he was demanding an answer. He managed to look his boss in the eye for a little while before redirecting his gaze to the bedspread.

'You tell me to leave you to drown in the river,' continued Gibbs when no answer was forthcoming. 'You dismiss any injuries you might have sustained when the car ran off the road. Damn it, you persuade a known criminal with a personal grudge against you to take you in place of someone you don't even know. I'm starting to think you have some kind of death wish.

Tony felt his face flush and coughed lightly before responding. He had heard Gibbs speak like this before. There was no way he was going to leave without getting some answers. But Tony wasn't sure what answer he was going to give him.


	32. Chapter 32

Drowning

Chapter 32

Gibbs watched and waited for an answer to his question. He knew that Tony was unwell, but the cocktail of drugs that was being fed into him was obviously keeping the edge off his physical pain. Gibbs wanted to address the thing that had been bothering him about Dinozzo for a long while, and as much as he could probably be accused of taking advantage of Tony when his defense mechanisms were not at full power, he didn't care.

Tony knew that Gibbs was not going to give up his line of questioning until he had extracted an answer from him. He suddenly felt some empathy for the suspects Gibbs interrogated.

'Boss, it made sense to let Brogan take me and leave Dianne with her parents,' he began, his voice sounding even more fragile.

'Why?' demanded Gibbs, his tone neutral and his face impassive.

'Her parents had gone through hell,' said Tony. 'They'd gone through all that, and they had got the money together, and then the bastard tells them he isn't going to hand her over. I couldn't let that happen.'

'And what about what happened in the river?' continued Gibbs, inwardly shuddering at the memory of Tony telling him to leave him wedged under the tree. 'That didn't make any sense.'

Tony sighed and the sigh morphed into a cough. Gibbs intuitively helped his agent sit up and kept his arm across Tony's shoulders until the coughing had subsided. He then resumed his position as if nothing had happened.

'Exactly _how_ did telling me to leave you to drown in that river make sense, Dinozzo?' he persisted.

'Man, you don't give up, do you Boss?' protested Tony, looking up at the ceiling. 'I reckon if I was suddenly rushed into the operating theatre right now, you'd be gowned up and firing the questions at me during the surgery.'

Gibbs leaned closer to Tony and lowered his voice.

'Tell me.' It was somewhere between an invitation and a command, and it had the desired effect. Tony turned his head on the pillow and looked Gibbs squarely in the eye.

'You're the team leader, Boss,' he told him, his voice reduced to a whisper. 'Without you, the team would be devastated. It made no sense for you to drown alongside me. If Brogan had taken Dianne and killed her, it would have broken her family.'

Gibbs mouth tightened into a thin line and he frowned.

'What about _your_ family, Tony?' he asked.

'Come on, Boss. You know I haven't got a wife and kids hidden anywhere. And you know as well as I do that the team can function fine without me.'

Gibbs said nothing for a few moments; saddened that Tony had not understood him.

'I want you to listen to me, Dinozzo. And I want you to listen carefully. The team could probably function without you, but it'd be a team that I wouldn't want to lead.'

Tony heard the sincerity in Gibbs' voice. He swallowed and felt pressure building in the corners of his eyes. He could not draw his eyes away from Gibbs'.

'And as for not having a family, Tony, open your eyes. Abby's been beside herself, and McGee's chin has been practically scraping the floor since Brogan took you. And Brogan's lucky that Ziva didn't take his head off with that knife. If you haven't realized by now that people care about whether you live or die, it's about time you did.'

Tony felt his throat tighten as Gibbs' words washed over him. It more than he had ever hoped to hear Gibbs say, and that was back before the whole Jeanne disaster had seemed to shove a wall between Tony and the team, especially Gibbs. And now he found he had no voice to tell Gibbs how much the words meant.

Gibbs watched as realization dawned across Tony's blue-tinged features. He gave Tony no indication that he was noticing the tear trickling from his left eye down towards the pillow, but he did decide it was time to give Tony a little space.

'I'm gonna see if I can find something resembling coffee,' he told Tony as he stood up. 'But I'll back with the doc. When he comes to give you a list of do's and don'ts, I want to witness it.'

Tony nodded and watched Gibbs walk towards the door. At the last minute, however, his boss turned to address him again.

'And Tony? If ithad turned out that the only way we could get you back was to pay a ransom, it would have been paid.'

'Boss, he wanted a million dollars,' Tony managed to say. 'Paying five bucks is against policy.'

'I would have found a way, Tony – even if I had to pay it personally,' said Gibbs in his most sincere tone. 'Whatever he was demanding, it could never have been too high.'

Gibbs left the room, but not before he had seen Tony's jaw drop. Hopefully he'd got his point about Tony being important across, but he suspected it was a topic that would have to be revisited. Dinozzo had spent thirty-odd years playing Russian roulette with his life. It would take more than one conversation to reverse that tendency.

On his way to the lounge, Gibbs came across Abby who was hovering in the hallway.

'Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!' she gushed by way of greeting. 'Is he okay? Tell me he's okay!'

'Ab's he's okay,' Gibbs reassured her. 'He's weak but he's talking. Did Ducky call you last night?'

'He went into a lot of detail,' said Abby, nodding her head vigorously, 'but after I heard him say Tony was alive, I didn't really take anything else in. Gibbs, I still don't understand why Tony let Brogan kidnap him.'

'We were just discussing that,' Gibbs told her.

'You didn't give him the mother of all ear bashings and slap his head did you?' Abby demanded, her face aghast. 'Ducky told me Tony shouldn't be exposed to unnecessary stress.'

'Abby,' said Gibbs. 'Why don't you go visit him and see if he's stressed or not. I'm going for coffee.'

Gibbs accepted the grateful, pleased hug Abby gave him and watched the young woman skip down the corridor in the direction of Tony's room. He then continued his search for coffee with a knowing smile gracing his features.

…………………………………………………………..

Abby knocked tentatively on the door before she entered. Tony was sitting propped up in the bed, his eyes closed. He looked washed out. Bruises were evident on his face and his lip was cut, but to Abby he was as handsome as ever. Her usual greeting at a time like this was for her to throw herself onto the bed and deliver a bone-crushing hug, but she felt as though something had changed between them. When she had been told that he had been kidnapped, she had been more than worried. The realization that the death of Tony would devastate her more than Kate's murder had shaken Abby, and she had spent some time examining what it all meant.

As she watched from the doorway, Abby saw Tony open his eyes and smile slightly at her. Perhaps he had sensed she was there. She walked towards the bed and returned the smile. She stood a little awkwardly by his bedside until he held out his hand and entwined his fingers in hers. After a few moments during which Abby barely took a breath, she sat on the edge of the bed, their hands still joined.

'Miranda told me that the cards and the scarf you bought were for me,' she said quietly.

'They are,' whispered Tony, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of her hand. And then he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. Abby looked into Tony's eyes and saw something that made her heart skip a beat.

Silence enveloped the pair until Abby spoke, her voice earnest and hushed.

'Tony, we don't share the same taste in music, and I don't dress like any of the girls I've seen you date, and I don't know if I can cope with you going out and nearly getting yourself killed, or going undercover with female agents, and then there's Rule 12, which may or may not technically apply to us because I'm like an adjunct to the team rather than a, actual part of the team, and….'

'Adjunct,' said Tony, furrowing his brow. 'Now there's a word I wouldn't use to describe you. It's actually more of a McGeek word, don't you think?'

'Tony!' Abby scolded him. 'Was that the only thing you heard me say?'

'No,' said Tony, smiling widely. 'But none of that stuff matters, Abs. Technically, on paper, we may not be a match, but maybe there's something else between us that means we'll work.'

'You mean Gibbs?' asked Abby, a little shocked. Had Tony already spoken to Gibbs about them?

'No!' hissed Tony, wryly. 'Gibbs could quite possibly have a meltdown. Chemistry, Abby. Chemistry.'

'Ah!' said Abby, approvingly as she swung her legs up onto the bed and snuggled down beside Tony. 'That's a very good word. That might work.'

Tony kissed Abby's forehead and smiled as he rested his head back on the pillow. The words of Gibbs and Vay, and the woman beside him all made his heart feel light – as though he had been struggling to reach the surface for years and was finally able to breathe freely, which was ironic given his respiratory condition! The hurt and disappointments of the past were always going to be a part of who he was, but he didn't have to allow himself to be swallowed up by them. They didn't have to define who he was.

………………………………………………………….

_Hi! One more chapter to come after this. I promise that there will be a bit more Gibbs/Tony, and they'll also be one last appearance of Miranda Vay._

_This was never going to be a 'Tabby' fic, but I couldn't help where the muse took me, LOL! I doubt they'll be a sequel to this story, so it doesn't really matter. Zan XXXXXX_


	33. Chapter 33

Drowning

Chapter 33

Gibbs stood at the foot of Tony's hospital bed, his arms folded and his sternest expression in place. He had accompanied Dr. Peterson back to Tony's room so that he could hear first hand what the doctor had to say, but now he had to wait until the man had finished scribbling notes on Tony's chart. Abby had still been with Tony when Peterson and Gibbs had entered the room, but she had quickly left soon after, mumbling something about the mass spectrometer needing a service. Gibbs had watched her leave before narrowing his eyes at his senior field agent. For his part, Tony had looked the picture of innocence – something that had instantly aroused Gibbs' suspicions.

The doctor began asking Tony some questions. Despite his papery thin voice and labored breathing, it seemed to Gibbs that Tony was doing a bit better. Of course he still had the 'happy juice', as Abby called it, being fed to him through the drip, but he definitely looked more relaxed than he had earlier.

'We're keeping you in for at least another five days,' said Peterson. 'You'll continue with the intravenous antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and morphine, but we'll ease off the morphine as we get closer to discharging you. Once you've been discharged, you will need to have at least two weeks of rest at home. Your lungs need time to recover properly. You'll need to have someone to look after you; a family member perhaps.'

'But…' began Tony.

'No buts,' said Peterson, sternly, even before Gibbs had time to jump in and say anything. 'Dr. Mallard absolutely agrees with me that someone with your unusual case history must rest completely. You do not want to suffer a relapse.'

'He _would_ agree with you,' muttered Tony, clearly annoyed.

In a move that clearly impressed Gibbs, Peterson took his lecture to the next level. The doctor walked around to the other side of the bed and held the drip bag in his hand.

'Tony, without this stuff, you would have died. If you had not been found for another twenty four hours, you would have been too far gone for us to do anything for you. If you leave here and fail to allow yourself to heal properly, you will fall gravely ill again. And if you have so little regard for yourself that you're already planning to ignore what I'm saying, have some regard for your friends and your family. I'm sure they're not in a hurry to attend your funeral.'

Gibbs watched Tony's face intently as the doctor spoke. The expression on the younger man's face had morphed from defiance to resignation and then to discomfort. Gibbs knew the doctor had struck a chord with his last sentence. There was no way Tony would want to put the team – Abby in particular – through anyone's funeral. Kate's had been quite enough.

'Doctor, your instructions will be followed to the letter,' Gibbs said, breaking the silence.

'Glad to hear it,' said Peterson as he hung the chart at the end of the bed. 'Tony, I'll see you in the morning,' he added before leaving the two men alone. Gibbs dragged a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

'You do your time here, Dinozzo, and then you can go home,' he told Tony. 'Once you're home, you'll spend two weeks resting before you'll be allowed to come back to work.'

'I guess I'll arrange something through the home nursing service,' grumbled Tony, recognizing Gibbs' definite tone. There was no way he was going to get out of this.

He was startled to feel the light tap of Gibbs' hand as it connected with the side of his head.

'What was that for?' he protested.

'Tony, when are you going to really HEAR what people say to you?' Gibbs asked in an exasperated tone. 'You don't need a damn nursing service. _**I'll**_ be moving in to make sure you don't end up back in here. I'm sure you'll have other visitors, but your health is gonna be my responsibility.'

Tony opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. His usual involuntary response would have been to protest and to claim that he didn't need help, but he really did feel like crap. And Gibbs had really challenged Tony to prove that he didn't have a death wish. The idea of having Gibbs watching Tony's six in his own house was at once terrifying and appealing. Gibbs would make a really tough nurse, but he couldn't remember a time when he had slept at home knowing there was someone there to look out for him.

'What about you?' asked Tony, suddenly remembering that Gibbs was still recovering from his own injury.

Gibbs was about to brush Tony's concerns off with a terse order for his agent to mind his own business, but then he remembered Ducky's words about Gibbs being something of a role model for Tony.

'Thanks to you ending up in here, I'll be going to Ducky's for a couple of nights,' he told Tony. 'And you'll be keeping that bit of information to yourself,' he added as he saw the corners of Tony's mouth turn upwards. He couldn't help but return the slight smile. It was good to see Tony in better spirits. He'd seen Tony in trouble, sick, in danger or in hospital too many times. And right then and there, Gibbs had a kind of epiphany. While it upset and irked him to see a friend or colleague suffer, nothing churned his insides as much as when Dinozzo was hurt. There was something about the man, or what was between them, that tugged at his heart.

'Be sure to give my best wishes to the corgis, Boss,' Tony was saying.

'You be sure to do as you're told and stay in this bed or I'll have doctor Peterson keep you in an extra week to save us all the bother of looking after you,' retorted Gibbs gruffly as he stood up. He reached his hand out towards Tony and the younger man braced himself for the familiar slap. Instead, Gibbs fondly ruffled Tony's hair before taking his leave.

'Heading to Ducky's?' asked Tony. He hoped that Gibbs would put the quiver in his voice down to his illness.

'Right after I've seen our friendly neighborhood psychic,' Gibbs called back. And then he was gone.

Tony slowly reached up and felt where Gibb's hand had fallen before shutting his eyes, a contented smile spreading across his features.

……………………………………………………..

Miranda Vay sat by herself in the interrogation room, waiting for Agent Gibbs to arrive. She hadn't been the least surprised when Agent David had told her that Gibbs was coming to speak to her. It had been, after all, Agent Dinozzo who had been put most at risk at the hands of her nephew. Even though she knew that Gibbs was officially still on medical leave, he was a man who made his people his responsibility – particularly his senior field agent. Vay felt some apprehension, but only because she didn't know just how angry he was going to be with her. During the night Vay had spent in custody, David had come to tell her that Tony's life was no longer on the line. Brogan was also out of danger, but Vay's relief had been all for Agent Dinozzo.

The door suddenly opened, and Gibbs entered the room. His face was stony and he was giving nothing away. Without greeting, he pulled out the chair and sat opposite her. He withdrew a pad from his jacket pocket, opened it, and sat with a pen poised. Only then did he look her in the eye.

'Agent Dinozzo is still doing well?' Vay asked.

'I want to know every detail about your involvement in the Partington kidnapping case and with Brogan himself,' said Gibbs, ignoring her enquiry.

Not wanting to antagonize Gibbs any further, Vay proceeded to give her side of the story. She had been aware that Brogan was out of jail, but was surprised when he turned up to see her. His life of crime had left him pretty much estranged from the family. When Brogan told her that he had kidnapped a young woman, her immediate plan of action had been to call the police.

'I feel no family loyalty towards Matthew,' Vay told Gibbs. 'But he had already gained access to my cellar and taken the woman down there. He wanted me to stay quiet until her family had paid the ransom. He threatened that if I told anyone about her, he'd kill her. Agent Gibbs, I know Matthew well enough to believe he was serious.'

Gibbs' mind wandered to the moment he had seen Brogan grab Tony by the hair as his agent struggled for breath. Vay had been right to believe what Brogan had threatened.

'I managed to make a deal with him, however,' continued Vay. 'I insisted that she be kept humanely and that I would supply her with food. He agreed – probably because that meant he wouldn't have to do very much about keeping her alive. His main motive was money; it always has been.'

'Why come to us?' asked Gibbs. His attitude towards the woman was softening a little. Dianne had been well looked after while in captivity. It seems she had Vay to thank for that.

'Because you kept investigating her disappearance,' explained Vay. 'Matthew didn't want the authorities sniffing around. Once the search had been called off, he could return Dianne and collect the money. Coming to NCIS was actually my suggestion. I have a history of offering my talents to the police. I told Matthew that if I could convince you that Diane had chosen to disappear, you'd back right off. He made Diane write a letter to her parents to add weight to the story. Once she had been returned to her family, I intended to contact the police immediately.'

'But we kept digging,' said Gibbs, quietly.

'Perhaps other agents wouldn't have,' said Vay. 'But you were very skeptical. And then there was the unhappy coincidence that Matthew saw and recognized Agent Dinozzo as the officer who had arrested him some years ago. I was disgusted when I found out he had shot at your car as you left the Partington house. He justified his actions by saying that it would keep your team busy with something besides finding Dianne, but it was purely an act of revenge. I'm so glad you both survived.'

Gibbs replayed in his mind the events of the shooting. He remembered the pain in his chest, but more vivid was the memory of Tony despairing. He swallowed uncomfortably, knowing that Tony would eventually hear confirmation that Gibbs had taken the bullet meant for him. That would not go down well.

'But then Matthew ended up bringing Agent Dinozzo here,' continued Vay, frowning at the thought of the way her nephew had behaved. 'I told him I was not going to stand for it and I was restrained as well.'

Gibbs made a few notes on the pad. It bought him a few moments to digest what Vay had told him. It would read like a bad movie script – Tony would probably tell him that there was some obscure movie with a similar plot – but Gibbs could not detect any deception in Vay's voice.

'NCIS will not be pressing any charges against you regarding the kidnapping of a federal agent,' Gibbs told her. 'Tony's already made a statement that includes how you tried to argue for his release. As for the Partingtons, it's up to them and their lawyers.'

'They will not press charges against me,' said Vay, her voice calm and assured. 'I have not yet spoken them, but I am confident they will not.'

Silence fell upon the room for a few moments as Gibbs wondered what to make of her, before Vay spoke again.

'Agent Dinozzo was convinced that no-one would pay the ransom,' she said, her eyes gazing into Gibbs'.

Gibbs said nothing.

'He was delirious but he spoke about hearing someone say they would never pay it,' persisted Vay. 'I felt confident he was not referring to you.'

Gibbs felt a surge of anger flow through him as his gut told him who may have made that comment to Tony. He didn't need to know the details. It simply provided another little piece of the picture that would explain why Tony was heedless of his own personal safety; he had grown up believing people had a low estimation of his worth. Vay watched the emotion flicker across Gibbs' face before continuing.

'You already are, but you are going to be an even more important part of Agent Dinozzo's life. He trusts you. You are the only person who has set boundaries that he has respected.'

'Cut the bull,' snapped Gibbs, suddenly. 'You're _not_ a psychic. You made up all the crap about Dianne Partington being happy and safe. And you probably knew all about Tony nearly drowning in the stream. Were you watching all of that, or did Brogan tell you about it?'

'I was never there,' said Vay, her face impassive. 'Matthew was never there, except for when he kidnapped Dianne in the first place. Neither of us was there when the tree fell. But I felt the panic you both felt, Agent Gibbs.'

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when he realized he had nothing to say.

'You are so alike,' said Vay, 'but there is one major difference between you. You once lost what Tony never had to begin with. Now you are in a unique position to help each other. While you are at work, you watch each other's backs, but you will find that your lives outside of work will become evermore entwined.'

Gibbs found his curiosity piqued but there was no way he was going to ask her for details about a prediction he didn't believe she could make. Vay, of course, realized this and pointed to the pen and notepad.

'May I?' she asked, and nodded her thanks as Gibbs pushed them towards her. Vay took the pen and turned to a fresh page. With the pen she carefully drew the number 12. She then looked up at him pointedly. Gibbs shrugged, unwilling to show a shred of interest.

'You and Tony already figure prominently in each other's lives', Vay told him, 'but this number is already crumbling, and you will be very happy for both of them.'

Gibbs stared at the number as she drew a cross through it. He recalled the gift Tony had bought for Abby, her uncharacteristic, hasty departure from Tony's hospital room earlier that day, and the innocent look Tony had tried to pull off once she had left. Gibbs pursed his lips together tightly to prevent the smile that was trying to form. He pocketed the pad and pen and stood up.

'Okay, that's enough mumbo jumbo for me,' he told her. 'Agent David will be here shortly to do your paperwork and escort you home.'

And with that he was gone, leaving Miranda Vay to reflect that at least some good had come from an ugly business after all. And she was already looking forward to the next time she would encounter Agent Gibbs and his team.

THE END

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_So there you go! Another story finished. Thank you very, very much to all the readers and reviewers of this story. I'm thrilled I finished it despite a hectic work schedule, two young kids, and the bushfires! Stay tuned for a few more Moments and Fragments. Take care. Love, Zan._


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